A project is underway in the far north of Sweden to move and relocate the entire city of Gällivare. Public buildings are being replaced, creating a need for innovative, multi-purpose properties. The multi-activity building in the city centre will bring sport, activities and culture under one roof.

HYBRIT’s demonstration plant in Vitåfors, northern Sweden, will demonstrate the value chain for fossil-free steel on an industrial scale. It includes production of hydrogen in order to manufacture sponge iron by direct reduction. The plant is due to open in 2026.

HYBRIT is conducting trials on direct reduction of iron ore pellets, using hydrogen produced by fossil-free electricity. Currently, a pilot hydrogen storage is being built to test the best way to store hydrogen underground.

Haraholmen is an industrial park that brings together many sustainable initiatives and solutions to increase their positive impact. The site uses renewable energy, welcomes companies with a focus on environmental sustainability and is a hub for resource-efficient transport with access to roads, railways and a deepwater port.

Markbygden 1101 is the largest onshore wind power project in Europe. Once completed, it will consist of up to 1,101 wind turbines, producing up to 12 TWh per year. That’s around 8% of Sweden’s total electricity generation.

At Skellefteå Site East, close to Northvolt’s factory, one of the world’s most sustainable development projects has been conducted. Maximising the cutting-edge know-how of both Skellefteå Municipality and external partners, Site East is a source of inspiration for the industry. It has the boldness to adopt new approaches to sustainability and work with contractors towards a common vision.

Advances in timber construction are attracting more and more attention from contractors and architects, who are discovering the benefits of using wood as a building material. In Skellefteå, you can experience a ‘wood safari’ to learn how creative ideas produce low-carbon, attractive living environments.

As the global aviation sector faces increasing demands to get on a sustainable flightpath, one airport in northern Sweden has gained a head start. It aims to become Europe’s, and probably the world’s, first fossil-free airport. It is also preparing to become a test centre for electrically powered and vertical take-off aircraft.

In 2018, the electricity grid around Malå, Sweden, was fitted with a Smart Grid Surveillance system that detects and locates faults and deviations in the grid. The solution enables much more efficient and proactive maintenance, saving time and money.

Northvolt in Skellefteå is the greenest battery plant in Europe, providing sustainable replacement of fossil fuels through the large-scale manufacture of batteries for the electrification of transport and vehicles. What’s more, the plant uses 100% green energy.

A major challenge for electric vehicles in northern Europe is adapting them to the cold climate to improve their operation, as well as their passenger and driver comfort. In Umeå, the company Hybricon has solved this problem with an advanced system for air heating and cooling.

Sara Cultural Centre, one of the world’s tallest timber buildings, is located in Skellefteå, just below the artic circle in the north of Sweden. The building houses venues for arts, performances and meetings as well as a hotel, and has been constructed with the latest energy solutions.

Umeå is a fast-growing, environmentally conscious city in Northern Sweden that’s aiming to continue growing based on ecological, economic and social sustainability. The Smart Living Lab is a central hub for innovations and ideas to achieve this vision.

The city of Umeå is a pioneer in developing the sharing economy. The city has established test beds for a number of sharing services and digital solutions that lead to a more sustainable society.

As segregation and inequality are increasing in many parts of the world , inclusiveness in the planning process of cities and communities is becoming even more important. The city of Umeå in northern Sweden is working hard to create an inclusive, safe environment for all.

Luleå Airport is one of two pilot sites testing a new way to heavily reduce the carbon emissions. By using the district heating and cooling system for parked aircrafts, the airport’s electricity demand has dropped by 95 %.

‘Drizzle’ is a centre of excellence committed to high-quality R&D in pioneering stormwater solutions that address several challenges: minimising pollution loads on receiving waters; minimising the risk of urban flooding; and taking advantage of the opportunities offered by stormwater run-off.

Hörneborgsverket, a biofuel-based cogeneration plant, is at the heart of Övik Energi’s energy production. Hörneborgsverket produces roughly equal amounts of district heating, steam, and electricity. Some 99% of the fuels used at the plant are renewable, and the steam is distributed to local industries.

Domsjö Fabriker is part of the Aditya Birla Group, the world’s largest of viscose fibre producer. This cutting-edge biorefinery is developing the textiles of the future for the world’s catwalks, from northern spruce trees. This is creating a sustainable bioeconomy that uses the forest’s unique renewable resources.

Processum is an international research- and innovation partner in biorefinery. In their unique research environment, Processum can test new ideas and products all the way from laboratory to demo scale. The aim is to develop methods for converting all kinds of biomass into useful materials such as proteins and chemicals and into bioenergy to replace fossil based raw materials.

A new water purification system uses floating walls, or baffles, to improve purification. The solution has been developed by a Swedish company and can be used in all kinds of dams, for surface or storm water, leachate, industrial water and sewerage water.

Wind power is an endless and renewable source of energy that has been used for thousands of years. It plays an important role in Umeå Energis investment in renewable energy and is in line with the company’s aim to be completely carbon neutral by 2018. In total, the municipality owned company Umeå Energi owns ten wind turbines, which provide significant climate benefits. These turbines are situated in the towns of Hörnefors, Holmsund and Robertsfors.

Umeå Municipality has a total of 19 wastewater treatment plants. The largest handles waste water from households and various companies in the area. Every year, it receives about 13 million cubic metres of waste water, containing 3,000 tonnes of organic material and 80 tonnes of phosphorus. And every day it produces 23,000 kWh of biogas.

Sustainable Ålidhem in Umeå is a unique urban development project, encompassing the social, technical, environmental and economic aspects of sustainability. The objective of the project is to reduce energy usage, create a safer and more comfortable environment and transform Ålidhem into a sustainable neighbourhood.

Green Zone is a unique pioneering project, proving that it’s possible to create an almost waste-free environment even when building and operating services like a car wash and petrol station. The synergy-based solutions for air, light, energy and water make Green Zone a centre for learning about circular sustainability.

At Gimonäs Recycling Center the households can submit their bulky waste, garden waste and the hazardous waste at no additional charge. The municipal company, Vakin, owns and operates seven recycling centers in Umeå municipality and one in Vindeln municipality.

The generation of both district heating and electricity almost entirely from waste makes the Dåva CHP (combined heat and power) plant extremely energy efficient and environmentally sustainable. Its renewable sources include sorted waste and forest industry residues.

The Älvsbacka Bridge in Skellefteå is one of many pedestrian bridges constructed by Martinsons since the late 1980s and an innovative example of wood construction. It takes advantage of the environmental and other benefits from greater use of wood in building projects.

The municipalty of Skellefteå collect waste from homes and workplaces and produces there own biogasfuell for use in the municipality cars and in the public buses.

CHP Plant

Hedensbyn was Skellefteå Kraft’s first bioenergy combine when it started operations in 1996 and has been a world leader in the development of modern bioenergy technology ever since.