Record interest in energy conference

There is a rallying in Värmland around the energy transition. This is how the great interest and commitment to the Energy Conference 2024 at Glava Energy Center can be interpreted. Among the 130 registered participants were politicians, officials, urban planners, energy specialists, energy researchers, entrepreneurs, industry representatives, and investors.

– Having the drive and belief that "we can do this" is crucial in the energy transition. You seem to have that belief here. And you have equipped your toolbox with concrete activities and have a clear focus. All of this indicates to me that the chance of succeeding in the change work in Värmland is significant, said Kerstin Arnemo, former chairman of Jämtkraft with extensive experience in driving business-based development processes.

She was one of the main speakers at the Energy Conference 2024, which took place at Glava Energy Center in Hillringsberg, Glava, outside Arvika on May 7th.

Aims to tackle the energy challenge locally

The toolbox Kerstin Arnemo refers to is the project activities identified in the three-year project LOKEN, Local Energy Management Värmland.

– The simple but serious question is: What power supply should we have in Värmland? Who should solve the problem? Yes, it is none other than ourselves, we who are in this room. And that is what we will work on in LOKEN - tackling the energy challenge locally, said Magnus Nilsson, CEO of Glava Energy Center at the conference opening.

The project in question aims to support local energy transition, develop proactive local energy management, test innovative energy solutions, and build a new collaboration arena in energy issues between academia, public, and private actors. LOKEN, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and Region Värmland, is a three-year collaboration between Glava Energy Center and Karlstad University, as well as around 30 actors throughout Värmland.

Raises interest within and outside Värmland

The Energy Conference 2024 was the kickoff for the project, which meant that representatives of many project actors were present.

– It is exciting and inspiring to be part of LOKEN. As an electricity producer, it is, for example, interesting to be able to take a closer look at smart solutions for energy storage through the project, said Martin Rybeck, maintenance manager, Munkfors Energy.

– The energy issue is here and now. It is both a future issue regarding potential new establishments and a societal issue with a direct impact on the business sector. So, for politics and for the society around, it is about finding an understanding of and consensus with the business sector. Through such a common understanding, we can get incentives for the right decisions and efforts, said Peter Söderström, municipal councilor (Social Democrats) of Arvika municipality.

The conference also attracted guests from places outside Värmland. For example, several of Glava Energy Center's Norwegian member companies were present. And from Region Jönköping County, project manager Natalia Jones and section chief Carlos Pettersson, both from Energikontor Norra Småland, participated. They are running the EFFEKT project to accelerate the development of the energy system in Jönköping County.

– Our project has similarities with the Värmland initiative LOKEN. But you have a greater emphasis on project parts of a technical nature. It is exciting for us to be here and take part in these aspects, says Natalia Jones, project manager for EFFEKT.

Receives important input about various needs

In the afternoon, conference participants were divided into four different thematic focus groups - on energy communities, flexibility, energy planning, and solar parks. Here, the focus was on dialogue and mapping the starting point, challenges, and needs for future activities in the LOKEN project. Each group included researchers from Karlstad University to contribute with academic knowledge injections to the various local and regional development issues.

When it comes to energy communities, for example, there are rewarding and interesting examples to highlight from an international perspective, said Avit Bhowmik, lecturer in risk and environmental studies, who, together with Lena Grip and Lotta Braunerhielm, both associate professors in cultural geography at Karlstad University, participated in the focus group on energy communities.

After the conference, Glava Energy Center's CEO Magnus Nilsson concludes that the record interest and commitment during the Energy Conference 2024 are an inspiring sign of Värmland's willingness to change.

– In Värmland, we are at minus 37 percent in the electricity balance. If we don't do anything, we will have to start phasing out activities. But the fact that so many of us gather, more than ever at an energy conference in Glava, from both public, private, local, and regional activities - and talk about how we together can change the situation: that is very hopeful, says Magnus Nilsson.

Many inspirational speakers

To provide knowledge, ideas, and inspiration into the afternoon's focus groups, a number of speakers were present at the conference: Kerstin Arnemo, former chairman of Jämtkraft, Arne Bergvik, energy strategic consultant at Sigholm, Gustav Green, research and development engineer at RISE, Josefin Danielsson, project manager at ElectriCity Innovation Hammarby Sjöstad. Bjørn Thorud, solar power technology manager at Aneo, Sofia Hidén, site manager at Rottneros Bruk, and Hans Albrektsson, responsible for business policy at the Chamber of Commerce Värmland.

Want to know more about the LOKEN project? Check out the project's website.

Captions:

• Natalia Jones, project manager, and Carlos Pettersson, section chief, both at Energikontor Norra Småland, talk to Erica Åkerberg, research advisor at Karlstad University. In the background are Daniel Ekström, project manager of Elkraft Värmland at Region Värmland, and Lisa Gärdt, sustainability coordinator at Glava Energy Center.
• Lunch break during the Energy Conference 2024, held in the conference room Smedjan next to Glava Energy Center's office in Hillringsberg, Glava, outside Arvika.