‘An electricity shortage must not slow down green investments’

Foto: Jonas Bilberg

Industry and the transport sector face a rapidly growing need for sustainable electricity. What will be required of Sweden’s electricity system for us to make this transition?

– We need to expand and modernise the Swedish main grid as well as the regional and local electricity grids. Moreover, the electricity grids and our electricity usage need to be made more efficient and optimised, and to achieve that requires technical solutions, everything from electric power plants to energy storage systems and local microgrid solutions. To meet this new demand, we need to immediately take steps using the technology available, and we need to do it together. We must involve the whole chain, from research and academia to suppliers and purchasers. We must also ensure that the regulations and conditions are in place in order to make the necessary investments.

There is a debate between many who believe that a rapid expansion of wind power is necessary to successfully deliver electrification and achieve the climate goals and others who feel the expansion must await the expansion of nuclear power. What is your take on this debate?

– The transition of industry and the transport sector needs to continue apace in order to rapidly reduce carbon dioxide emissions. An electricity shortage must not slow down green investments. It would therefore be extremely unfortunate to miss the opportunity to utilise the potential to expand offshore and land-based wind power since it is often the quickest and cheapest way to acquire additional fossil-free electricity. We gain nothing from a debate that pits different kinds of fossil-free energy against each other. Instead, a mix is needed for a future sustainable, flexible and secure energy system.

Hitachi Energy is involved in building the world’s largest offshore wind farm in the UK. What can Sweden learn from other countries in order to accelerate the growth of offshore wind power?

– Offshore wind power has grown enormously in recent years, and we see that it will continue to expand in the foreseeable future, especially now with the technology that enables an efficient HVDC transmission from ever-larger wind farms ever further out to sea. To establish new large-scale offshore wind power in Sweden, the political framework must be clear and a consensus reached with others, for example local as well as environmental and defence interests. The technology, nevertheless, exists and is ready to bring in energy from offshore wind farms in Sweden to where it is needed the most, especially in electricity price areas 3 and 4.

Jenny Larsson was interviewed by Anders Liljeberg, Senior Consultant at New Republic. ‘Three Quick Questions…’ is a series of interviews conducted by New Republic.