The hydrogen actors of northern Sweden at the EU Hydrogen Week 2023
A large delegation of companies, academia and cities and regional actors engaged in hydrogen in the two northernmost counties of Sweden, Norrbotten and Västerbotten, joined forces during the 2023 edition of EU Hydrogen Week in Brussels. The initiative included a joint stand at the EU's hydrogen exhibition fair, a networking event and several roundtable discussions with decision-makers at EU level, organised together with North Sweden European Office. The aim of the joint effort was to spread awareness of the what is happening in northern Sweden and to welcome more actors to be part of the emerging hydrogen ecosystem.
EU Hydrogen Week is EU:s annual event that brings together EU policy makers, authorities and companies committed to the green transition via hydrogen, which is a key part of the EU's energy policy. It is the largest annual event in Brussels dedicated to hydrogen and is led by the European Commission together with the Clean Hydrogen Partnership and its members, Hydrogen Europe and Hydrogen Europe Research.
The North Sweden Pavillion showcasing the growing hydrogen ecosystem is an enabler for the green transition
In the coming years, the industries of northern Sweden will invest more than 100 billion Euros to make way for the green industrial transition. The industries are utilising the stable supply of renewable energy from wind and hydropower together with novel technologies that drastically lower the European CO2 emissions with the use of hydrogen. The growing hydrogen ecosystem is based on low cost green energy, technical expertise, innovative companies and a long history of successful industrial establishments.
Last year, the Region of Norrbotten, Norrbotten's major industrial players, the municipalities most affected by the hydrogen investments, and the university of the region arranged a joint stand during the exhibition fair at European Hydrogen Week in Brussels labeled "North Sweden Pavillion". The joint effort received great attention and in 2023, northern Sweden was once again present at the event. This year the delegation expanded to also included hydrogen actors from Västerbotten. The delegation more specifically consisted of representatives from SSAB, H2 Green Steel, Nordion Energi, Lonautics, Liquid Wind, Zelk Energy, Lhyfe Sweden, Umeå Energi, Luleå University of Technology via CH2ESS, Umeå University, RISE, Swerim, Skellefteå Kraft, Region Norrbotten, Region Västerbotten, the County Administrative Board of Norrbotten, Invest in Norrbotten and the municipalities of Boden, Gällivare, Luleå Piteå and Ånge in the Region of Västernorrland.
Hydrogen has been given great importance in the EU's energy policy and is seen by the European Commission as a crucial component for managing the green energy transition with great potential to store and deliver energy without carbon dioxide emissions and, not the least, as an input in industrial processes. This is an area where northern Sweden is at the forefront and is receiving a lot of attention through the large-scale industrial investments that are taking place in the regions and utilising access to green energy. The common message of the North Sweden Pavilion was to highlight the growing hydrogen ecosystem that is now enabling the green transition of industry, transport and society, and the role of universities in bringing new innovation to this cutting-edge technology. The participation is also important to welcome more actors that complement the value chains in northern Sweden.
North Sweden hosted networking event with the hydrogen industries from Norrbotten and Västerbotten
During the week, North Sweden organized a networking event where EU decision-makers with influence over hydrogen policy gave other hydrogen actors in Brussels the opportunity to meet northern Sweden's hydrogen actors. Cecilia Wallmark, Head of Operations for Luleå University of Technology's hydrogen initiative CH2ESS, also held an introduction to northern Sweden's hydrogen ecosystem with an overview of some of the industrial projects together with LTU CH2ESS's role in the industrial transformation. The presentations showed the breadth of the activities that make up the ecosystem and in addition to LTU, examples were also given from SSAB, H2GS, Lhyfe and Nordeon. Mikael Janson, Director of the North Sweden European Office welcomed the audience and gave an introduction to the office's commitment to hydrogen issues.
Roundtable with hydrogen actors of northern Sweden and EU decision-makers
During the EU Hydrogen week, Niklas Johansson, Senior Policy Advisor, organised roundtable discussions where the participants from northern Sweden met decision-makers in the EU arena who, from different perspectives, have an influence on energy policy and the design of the hydrogen system, and thus affect business opportunities in the EU and in northern Sweden. During the discussions, the delegation got an update on current EU policy issues in energy and industrial policy as well as the opportunity to participate in the conversation and provide input on the design of the future EU policies, that benefit northern Sweden's green transition, which has received great commitment from the EU arena. During the week, the delegation from Norrbotten and Västerbotten met, among others, Mirela Atanasiu, Director of the European Commission's Clean Hydrogen JU, which is responsible for the financing of Hydrogen Valleys; Alexander Majer and Jeanette Lund, responsible for energy policy at the Permanent Representation of Sweden to the EU; Jyri Yylkanen, Policy Officer responsible for the Hydrogen Economy at the European Commission's Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW); Pierre Schellekens, Director of 'Energy policy: Strategy and Coordination, at the European Commission's Directorate-General for Energy, and Julia Lindholm, Director of the Swedish Energy Industries in Brussels.
/Niklas Johansson, Alexander Castwall, Julia Bergsten