Electricity and power analysis for Värmland published

The electricity production in Värmland does not cover the current and future regional electricity demand, but an expansion of, for example, wind and solar power can change that. That is a conclusion in the regional electricity and power analysis that Glava Energy Center produced on behalf of the Värmland County Administrative Board, and which has now been published.

During 2022, Glava Energy Center, on behalf of the Värmland County Administrative Board, carried out an electricity and power analysis for the region of Värmland. The analysis covers today's electricity production, electricity use and power demand. It contains a description of the current situation, forecast for the year 2030, and scenarios for 2040.

- Our analysis clearly shows that total electricity consumption will increase in the future and that Värmland currently imports around 37 percent of the electricity that needs to be supplied, says David Olsson, project manager in smart sustainable energy systems at the Glava Energy Center and one of the authors of the report.

Against the background of the large electricity import, one of the conclusions in the electricity and effect analysis is that the electricity production in Värmland does not cover the current and future regional electricity demand. According to the forecast, electricity consumption in Värmland in 2030 is estimated to be 6.9 TWh, which is an increase of 13 percent compared to 2020. According to a high consumption scenario, which assumes a high degree of electrification in both industry and the transport sector, the electricity demand in 2040 could be approximately 42 percent higher than 2020.

- In addition, the new establishment of an industry with a very large electricity consumption in Värmland would be enough for the electricity consumption from the industrial sector to increase massively, says David Olsson.

Värmland can become a net exporter of electricity

In the case of large new establishments in Värmland, like Northvolt in Norrland, electricity demand would increase by 78 percent compared to the current situation. At the same time, the electricity and effect analysis show that, despite such new establishments, Värmland could be a net exporter of electricity in 2040. The future scenarios for energy production show that an expansion of, for example, wind and solar power can cover the increased energy demand.

- All in all, a strong expansion of wind and solar power together with a focus on flexibility and storage could make Värmland an attractive county, both for existing companies and industries, as well as for new establishments regardless of electricity needs, says Isac Myrén Andersson, project manager in smart sustainable energy systems at Glava Energy Center and one of the report authors.