24 May 2024

Cross-border Cooperation across the Kvarken: A Key to Success in the Green Transition

As the world moves towards a more sustainable future, the energy sector faces a series of challenges and opportunities. It is clear that cooperation, innovation, and a strong infrastructure are essential for the green transition.

At yesterday’s energy seminar in Kokkola, organized by Bothnia Green Energy, the opportunities and challenges of the increased demand for clean energy were discussed. Participants from Fingrid, Flexens, Corporal Frisk, Kokkola Energy, Skellefteå Kraft, and Vaasan Sähkö emphasized the importance of national and international cooperation, innovation, and robust infrastructure to meet future energy needs.

Collaboration for Secure Energy Systems

A recurring theme in the discussions was the importance of collaboration at regional, national, and international levels. Replacing fossil fuels with fossil-free alternatives is costly but necessary for a sustainable future. Currently, the production of fossil-free fuels is more expensive, but with the right infrastructure and cooperation, these costs can be managed. The Kvarken region's access to clean energy creates significant opportunities in the green transition. Cross-border collaboration is crucial to ensure energy supply.

Robin Häggblom from Corporal Frisk highlighted the importance of cross-border cooperation around the Baltic Sea, where trade and transport have historically been central. In today's context, this becomes even more important considering the security challenges and geopolitical tensions facing the region. Effective collaboration between authorities, companies, and international actors is necessary to ensure robust and flexible energy systems. It is important to develop communication channels between authorities and companies now to be able to act quickly and collectively in crisis situations.

Challenges and Opportunities

From high production costs for fossil-free fuels to the need for extensive infrastructure investments, the challenges are many. A central issue is also how to ensure stability and reliability in energy systems during the transition.

"The biggest challenge is securing energy in time for the green transition. To achieve this, cooperation between energy companies and other organizations is required to meet the timeline," says Ann-Christine Schmidt, Head of Research, Development, and Innovation at Skellefteå Kraft.

Stefan Damlin, CEO of Vaasan Sähkö, Kirsi Hautala, CEO of Kokkolan Energia, and Ann-Christine Schmidt participated in a panel where they pointed out the importance of adapting energy use to the availability of energy, educating future generations on smart energy use, and expanding energy infrastructure to enable the green transition.

"There will be no transition without transmission," says Stefan Damlin.

Peter Hedman, project manager for Bothnia Green Energy, concluded by stating that there is an information gap between Sweden and Finland that must be bridged.

"More people need to know more about everything happening in the energy sector and the green transition in the Kvarken region. This includes information about all the investments currently being made on both sides of the Kvarken and that we learn more about the challenges and opportunities facing the energy sector," says Peter Hedman.

Click here to read more about the project Bothnia Green Energy!