The venture that needs the most electricity is the Hybrit project, where the mining company LKAB, the steel company SSAB and the energy company Vattenfall are jointly developing new technology to produce fossil-free steel using hydrogen gas.

According to the Swedish Energy Agency, there may be a shortage of electricity in a few years if the development of wind power does not increase.

This can lead to major industrial investments being jeopardized.

In Finland, where SSAB also operates, the process is faster, points out Martin Lindqvist, CEO of SSAB:

- There we are in the final phase of looking at when we can get electricity - but we will most likely get it well before 2030.

What does the Swedish government need to do to ensure that you get electricity to Luleå?

- I think we can learn something from Finland.

We must have legally secure and good processes, but we must do things in parallel instead of sequentially.

We will need wind power, we will need hydropower and we will need planable power, says Martin Lindqvist.

Northvolt: More wind turbines in West Sweden are needed

The battery company Northvolt invests together with Volvo Cars in a factory in Gothenburg that should be ready in 2024.

Peter Carlsson, CEO of Northvolt, points out that in order to get the investment started they need an expanded distribution network, which they have been promised by Svenska kraftnät.

At the same time, it also requires that the factory be filled with energy.

- As it is now, we need to build more wind turbines in western Sweden.

You can't really say yes to one and no to the other, he says.

Ebba Busch responds to the criticism

Energy and Industry Minister Ebba Busch (KD) believes that wind power as a short-term solution is the Swedish government's stance.

At the same time, she has previously said that an expansion of wind power must be done with great caution.

As minister of business, have you gained a new understanding that wind power is important in the short term?

- I have always had the basic understanding that we need to speed up the permit processes around wind power, says Ebba Busch.

She adds:

- But to think that we can only put our foot down in renewables, and only have weather-dependent power production in Sweden, that is simply not responsible. 

Javascript is disabled

Javascript must be enabled to play video

Read more about browser support

Has Minister of Economic Affairs Ebba Busch swerved on the issue of wind power?

Here she answers in SVT's Agenda.

Photo: SVT