Swedish electricity is almost entirely fossil-free and consists of hydropower, nuclear power and wind power.

But when Sweden sells electricity, it often replaces electricity in other countries, produced with coal oil or natural gas.

- Our exports often replace fossil electricity, which has a climate footprint of between 400 and 800 grams/kWh, says Dag Henning at the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency.

That Swedish electricity exports are good for the climate is clear.

Exactly how big the climate benefit is depends a little on how you calculate, because Sweden both imports and exports electricity.

Normally, it is only during 36 hours that imports are greater. 

Increasing exports of electricity this year are due, among other things, to the lack of gas in Europe and the fact that Norway, which mostly uses hydropower, had very little water in its reservoirs and therefore imported an unusual amount of electricity.

In addition, Sweden has expanded wind power.

6 million tons of CO2

If Swedish hydropower replaces Norwegian hydropower, there will of course be no difference to the climate.

The countries Sweden sells to have average emissions of 250 grams of CO2 per kWh.

If you calculate, the export corresponds to 6 million tons of CO2 for the first eight months of the year, which corresponds to the emissions from all passenger cars in Sweden during the same period.

But you can count in different ways.

If Norway or Denmark could not buy electricity from Sweden, they would have been forced to increase electricity production, or buy more from other countries.

Then, in the vast majority of cases, it would have meant fossil electricity with greater climate impact.

"Swedish electricity exports make a big difference for the whole of Europe"

Assuming that the exports in practice mostly replace fossil electricity, each exported kWh of electricity results in reduced emissions of at least 400 grams.

Exports so far this year are at a net 24 TWh, which then corresponds to 9.6 million tons of CO2, or calculated over the whole year, probably around 13 -14 million tons. 

- Swedish electricity exports make a big difference for the whole of Europe.

We are the country that exports the most electricity in the entire EU, at certain times, says Erik Ek, operations manager at Svenska Kraftnät.

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Photo: Sara Cosar/SVT