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Energy – Political and Economic Implications for the Nordic Countries

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A Modern Nordic Saga : Politics, Economy and Society

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Abstract

North European countries are world leaders in renewable energy. As a whole, Norden represents a very wide-ranging spectrum of competencies and technologies within the scope of efficiency and use of new energy sources, from bioenergy through solar and wind power to geothermal energy. Their energy policy is based on a comprehensive approach which presupposes combining joint production of electricity, heat and cooling, the energy efficiency and its storage systems, as well as modern intelligent grid technologies, and minimal impact on health, environment and climate.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    For more on the subject see: Łucki and Misiak 2010 – Energetyka a społeczeństwo. Aspekty socjologiczne.

  2. 2.

    By way of illustration, at the beginning of 2014 there were 436 nuclear reactors in 30 countries. Currently, 72 new nuclear power plants are under construction in 15 countries. Nuclear energy generates 12.3 % of the total electricity produced in the world.

  3. 3.

    An independent company Statnett Marked AS was put in charge of running the spot market for electricity.

  4. 4.

    It was done on the provision that the consumers will install metering devices to register energy usage on hourly basis, as in the case of Norway. The full liberalization of the electricity market in Sweden was formally achieved on December 1st, 1999.

  5. 5.

    More on the subject in: A. J. Nehrebecki, Giełdy energii elektrycznej w Unii Europejskiej.

  6. 6.

    Trading of CO2 allowances at Nord Pool exchange was launched on February 11, 2005; see: www.emisje.com.pl.

  7. 7.

    Currently, this applies to 380 companies from 20 countries which trade on the markets in the Nordic and Baltic regions, and on UK market.

  8. 8.

    See: Human Development Report 2014 Sustaining Human Progress: Reducing Vulnerabilities and Building Resilience. The Nordic countries have been ranked as follows: Norway–1; Denmark–10; Sweden-12; Iceland–13; Finland – 24.

  9. 9.

    On the basis of http://www.imd.org/uupload/imd.website/wcc/scoreboard.pdf. It is useful to clarify the IMD World Competitiveness Scoreboard presents the 2015 overall rankings for the 61 economies covered by the WCY. The economies are ranked from the most to the least competitive.

  10. 10.

    Gigawatt-hour (GWh) = 1000 KWh (kilowatt-hours).

  11. 11.

    For example, the power plant in Keflavik which uses high pressure steam of 260 °C.

  12. 12.

    Compare: W. Kotowski, W. Fechner, Rozwój energetyki światowej do roku 2050. Islandia stawia na wodór.

  13. 13.

    The energy consumption ratio indicator which includes domestic sales and purchase to supply ships and aircraft; see: http://www.nationmaster.com/country-info/profiles/Iceland/Energy.

  14. 14.

    A. Ingolfsson explains how the geothermal heating system works: Energia z solanki, Biuletyn ISLANDIA, no. 1/2000, www.islandia.org.pl; see also: T. Walat, Wyspa energią kipiąca.

  15. 15.

    The very first Icelandic hydropower station was constructed in Hafnarfjördur in 1904.

  16. 16.

    In 2010, they produced 27 % of the nation’s electricity.

  17. 17.

    Diatomite, also known as diatomaceous earth, is a chalk-like siliceous sedimentary rock used in the manufacturing of diatomite filters.

  18. 18.

    Unit of electric potential, electric potential difference (voltage), and electromotive force, 1 kV (Kilovolt = 103 V (volt).

  19. 19.

    Megawatt = 106 Watt.

  20. 20.

    This amount would meet ca. 2/3 of Hamburg energy needs. The construction of the power plant, the laying of cable from Iceland to Hamburg is expected to take 10 years, and the cost of other equipment, converters, substations and power interconnection transformers is estimated at EUR 2.7 billion.

  21. 21.

    There are about 180 thousand cars on Icelandic roads. The Icelandic fishing fleet consists of trawlers – the fishing industry generates 2/3 of export revenues.

  22. 22.

    B. Arnasson, a professor of chemistry at the University of Iceland in Reykjavik, estimates that conversion to the eco-friendly propulsion systems will take about ca. 30–40 years; see: Islandia chce zrezygnować z paliw i stawia na wodór, PAP, December 29, 2007. www.gazeta.pl (retrieved: January 25, 2007).

  23. 23.

    Data after: http://annualreport2014.landsvirkjun.com/ (retrieved: December 02, 2015).

  24. 24.

    In the industry (e.g. to provide the amount of electricity produced annually by power plants) larger units are used: megawatt hour (MWh), gigawatt hour (GWh), and terawatt hour (TWh). 1 TWh = 1000 GWh, 1 GWh = 1000 MWh, and 1 MWh = 1000 kWh.

  25. 25.

    It should also be noted, that in 2007 the Althing adopted a policy – innovative at a global scale – that Iceland will become free of fossil fuels. According to the plan, hydrogen will become a major source of energy within the next 30–40 years.

  26. 26.

    For example, as recently as 1972, the Danish electricity production from crude oil and coal was 80 % and 20 %, respectively.

  27. 27.

    In addition, Denmark has two of the deepest ports with coal terminals at Stigsnæs on Zealand and at Ensted in South Jutland. It is not difficult to understand the importance of coal at the time if only for significantly lower transport costs.

  28. 28.

    All data after: Denmark. DK – Denmark’s Official Web Site, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, www.denmark.dk.

  29. 29.

    This has increased the effectiveness of explorations which resulted in discovering a number of new sources of oil and natural gas.

  30. 30.

    See: O.W. Dietrich, Gyldenal Leksikon.

  31. 31.

    Data after Borsen.

  32. 32.

    See: O.W. Dietrich, Gyldenal Leksikon.

  33. 33.

    See: Business DI.

  34. 34.

    Data on the basis of Energiförsörjningen i Sverige.

  35. 35.

    Energy Policy, Government Offices of Sweden, Ministry of Enterprise, Energy and Communications.

  36. 36.

    In the period of 1995–2005, the share increased from 22 to 28 % of the total energy supply. The change was due to the use of biomass.

  37. 37.

    From the speech of M. Olofsson, the Minister of Industry and Swedish Deputy Prime Minister, at the annual energy conference (March 20–21, 2007), Svenska Dagbladet.

  38. 38.

    In its report, the Swedish Energy Agency stated that the 10 TWh increase was due to building offshore wind farms; see: www.energimyndigheten.se.

  39. 39.

    On June 28, 2007, Sweden and the United States signed a cooperation agreement on renewable energy and vehicle technologies. According to the agreement, the Volvo Group will work on developing environmentally-friendly commercial vehicle technologies. The project is to be cost-shared by Swedish and the U.S. research funding agencies; more on the subject in Dagens Industri.

  40. 40.

    An example would be southern Stockholm which is heated by energy from waste incineration plant in Högdalen. By burning of 500,000 t of municipal and 250,000 toes of industrial waste, the plant annually generates 1700 GWh of thermal energy and 450 GWh of electricity. There are 28 plants of this type in Sweden.

  41. 41.

    Municipal waste incineration plants produce electricity and heat for residential housing and industry sector. In Sweden, over 10 % of heat is supplied by waste incineration plants. The produced heat is used in the district heating networks; see: http://www.swedenabroad.com/pl-PL/Embassies/Warsaw/O-Szwecji/Ochrona-rodowiska-i-energia-odnawialna/Gospodarka-odpadami-i-produkcja-energii-w-Szwecji/.

  42. 42.

    More on the subject at: http://portpc.pl/?p=1796.

  43. 43.

    In Helsingborg, a town of some 90,000 residents, all city busses are powered by biomethane produced from municipal organic waste. The surplus is injected into the natural gas grid of municipal gas utilities.

  44. 44.

    The planned increase was to be achieved by launching small-scale hydroelectric power stations.

  45. 45.

    According to the 2008 estimates, it would be possible with the increase in the use of forest-based fuels – fourfold increase, biogas – 6 times more, biofuels – 6 times, wind power – by 16 times and of solar energy by the same measure; data after: www.energy-enviro.fi.

  46. 46.

    The necessity of energy independence is based on the experience of 2006 when Russia stopped delivering electricity to Finland for a few weeks. This also makes the attitude towards nuclear energy much more positive.

  47. 47.

    With the expiration of the Kyoto Protocol on climate change in 2012 and the adoption by EU of more stringent standards for greenhouse gas emissions, it has become necessary to replace the out-of-date coal-fired power plants with environmentally friendly power facilities.

  48. 48.

    More on the subject in: Strategia energetyczna Finlandii.

  49. 49.

    The Parliamentary Committee’s report titled Energy and Climate Roadmap 2050 was published on October 16, 2014.

  50. 50.

    In Norway, the construction of the major hydropower plants took place in the years of 1970–1985

  51. 51.

    Its current production meets the energy needs of just 800 residential houses.

  52. 52.

    Carbon capture and storage (CCS).

  53. 53.

    More on the subject: RENERGI – Avsluttet, http://www.forskningsradet.no/servlet/Satellite?c=Page&pagename=renergi%2FHovedsidemal&cid=1226993846874.

  54. 54.

    See: ENERGIX – Programplan 2013–2022, Norges Forskningsråd 2013, http://www.forskningsradet.no/prognett-energix/Forside/1253980140037.

  55. 55.

    In the 2007 budget for mainland economy, the structural, non-oil budget deficit was NOK 71 billion.

  56. 56.

    According to the Ministry of Finance, the Fund’s capital has exceeded the value of oil and gas reserves on the Norwegian continental shelf estimated at NOK 4 100 billion; see: Państwowy Fundusz Emerytalny Global.

  57. 57.

    In 2013, the Norwegian Conservative Party assumed power after 8 years of center-left rule by the Labour Party. Although the Labour Party is still the biggest one, as it gained over 30 % of the vote, it was unable to form a majority coalition.

  58. 58.

    According to Rystad Energy Report, prepared at the request of the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy, in 2013, the exports of equipment and services by these companies amounted to NOK 206 billion, mainly to Brazil, the UK, and South Korea. Some 150 thousand people are employed in the extractive industry and the services.

  59. 59.

    Resource accounts for the Norwegian continental shelf as of 31 December 2014 (02.03.2015), http://www.npd.no/en/Topics/Resource-accounts-and--analysis/Temaartikler/Resource-accounts/2014/.

  60. 60.

    More on the subject in: R. M. Czarny, The High North. Between Geography and Politics, pp. 113–156.

  61. 61.

    See: R. M. Czarny, Państwa regionu nordyckiego wobec problemu bezpieczeństwa energetycznego.

  62. 62.

    European Parliament resolution of 15 December 2015 on achieving the 10 % electricity interconnection target – Making Europe’s electricity grid fit for 2020. (2015/2108(INI), http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+TA+P8-TA-2015-0445+0+DOC+XML+V0//PL.

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  1. Chair of North European Countries Dept., Jan Kochanowski University, Kielce, Poland

    Ryszard M. Czarny

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Czarny, R.M. (2017). Energy – Political and Economic Implications for the Nordic Countries. In: A Modern Nordic Saga : Politics, Economy and Society. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-42363-0_9

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