Khashayar Farmanbar stated that he was “very concerned” about the rest of Europe’s continued reliance on Russian oil and gas and that Sweden was setting an example.
He stated at a new green steel project in Lulea, in the country’s north, “In comparison to many other NATO countries, I believe we are among the most energy-secure.
“The green transition generates a large number of new jobs, ensures energy security, and saves the planet so that humans can live on it in the future.
This, in my opinion, is a great selling point for Sweden’s NATO application.
When asked if Europe could learn from Sweden, which has nearly completely decarbonized its electricity generation through the use of a combination of hydropower, nuclear power, and wind power, he replied, “Absolutely, I would say… we are here to collaborate and ensure that it happens.
It is critical that Europe and the rest of the world phase out the use of fossil fuels.
“This endeavor must be completed quickly.
“Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has demonstrated that we must accelerate this process even further, and if Sweden can do anything, it is to set an example and demonstrate how we can become less reliant on fossil fuels in general, but specifically on Russia’s energy imports.”
Furthermore, he criticized the United Kingdom’s decision to grant additional licenses for fossil fuel extraction in the North Sea, calling it “the wrong path to take in the long run.”
As he put it, “I understand why some countries want to do this in the short term.
“Because, for the time being, eliminating Russian fossil imports may be extremely difficult. However, in the long run, this is the wrong course of action.”
Mr. Farmanbar spoke at a brand-new, first-of-its-kind green hydrogen storage facility, where the pressurized gas is kept in a hermetically sealed subterranean cavern.
The factory is part of the HYBRIT green steel project, which is a collaboration between SSAB steel, LKAB mining, and Vattenfall electricity.
As part of the steel manufacturing process, coal is burned and carbon is emitted, making it notoriously difficult to decarbonize.
Steel is also an important material in today’s world, as it is used in everything from houses and bridges to automobiles and wind turbines.
Because of its widespread use, the steel manufacturing industry accounts for approximately 8% of global carbon emissions.
The HYBRIT project, on the other hand, has discovered a way to replace coal with green hydrogen, thereby eliminating the worst part of the process.
HYBRIT’s director of industrial decarbonization, Mikael Nordlander, stated, “Some thought it was a ridiculous idea when we started doing it in 2016, but six years later, we’ve come a long way.
It works.
Green steel has been used in small batches in Volvo construction vehicles, but the technology is so new that it will not be widely available for several years.
It is also 20-30% more expensive to produce than conventional steel, but costs are expected to fall as manufacturing expands.
Kerstin Enochsson, Volvo Cars’ head of procurement, believes that consumers will be willing to pay a green premium and is overseeing a plan to produce all of the company’s vehicles out of green steel in the future.
“Perhaps it is a little more expensive, but we also recognize that carbon dioxide is a cost,” says a worker on the Gothenburg production line.
“I am confident that our customers will demand fossil-free products in the future. We are confident that this is the best bet.”
Martin Pei, SSAB’s chief technical officer, stated, “We believe this is the right path for the steel industry, and it will also be a good business move for us because we believe this is the future method of producing steel.
And we want to be the ones to pave the way and build this market, and our clients will be willing to pay a small premium at first to make this a reality, which will benefit all parties.
