‘The conflict between nuclear power and wind power is unfortunate’

‘Promoting the quick expansion of wind power is about ensuring industrial competitiveness, jobs and prosperity’. This is what Marcus Hedblom, the CEO of Ovako, together with the CEOs of LKAB, Holmen and SCA, wrote in an opinion article in Dagens Industri (20 September 2021). So how does wind power expansion help Ovako’s and Sweden’s competitiveness?

– Maintaining the fast expansion of non-fossil energy enables Sweden to attract investment and put money into the industry of tomorrow. With our unique position, which leaves us excellently placed, it is not just an opportunity for us to act robustly. If anything, it is an obligation. At Ovako, we want to continue to be the industry leader in low CO2 emissions, and we now intend with our hydrogen investment to take the last huge step towards eliminating all CO2 emissions. We will be carbon offsetting as early as 2022, which means we will be the first steel company in the world with a completely climate-neutral production.

You have pointed out, in various contexts, that the expansion of cheap wind- and solar-generated electricity, which varies depending on the weather, is a perfect combination for expanded hydrogen production. Can you explain in simple terms what you mean by that?

– High electricity production from wind and solar power produces a lot of hydrogen that can be stored and used when electricity production is low. In our particular case, we can also redirect in seconds the fuel for heating the steel. In other words, a ready-made solution already before the hydrogen storage is in place and a springboard for more wind power, and with that a secure, stable electricity supply. Huge investments are also required to strengthen the power grid. However, if the greatest expansion of wind power takes place in industry-intensive regions, which require a lot of hydrogen, it can happen faster. It is important that the brakes are not put on the expansion of green electricity production.

Harald Mix, one of the investors in Northvolt and your partner H2 Green Steel, has said that wind and water power are the key to northern Sweden’s competitiveness and ‘green electricity up there is roughly half the price compared to the rest of Europe’. What is your message to those politicians who feel that wind power comes from environment-destroying ‘forests of steel’ and hope that nuclear power expansion will solve Sweden’s growing electricity needs?

– The conflict between nuclear power and wind power is unfortunate. The nuclear power we have is important to the energy system. However, it is unrealistic that new nuclear power would solve the fast-growing need for cheap electricity over the coming years and decades. The signers of the opinion article you referred to express it well when they state that wind power is the energy source which can be in place quickly enough and a raft of political reforms are needed immediately to realise this. Nor is wind power the environmental villain that some would like to claim. That argument needs to be examined properly and objectively.

Göran Nyström was interviewed by Olle Schubert, CEO of New Republic. ‘Three Quick Questions…’ is a series of interviews conducted by New Republic.