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Solar park training in Glava starting point for Rottnero's energy investment

In 2024, the forest industry company Rottneros plans to start up a solar park and a battery storage at the company's mill in Rottneros, Värmland. At the beginning of June, a delegation from the mill participated in a customized solar park training at the Glava Energy Center.

Rottneros is an international specialist company in the development and production of paper pulp. In April 2023, Rottnero's board decided to invest in a solar park and a battery storage at Rottnero's Mill in Värmland. The investments are part of the long-term reduction of exposure to the electricity market. The start-up is planned for 2024.

– The combination of solar cells and battery storage feels appealing. It is a modern and forward-looking investment, says Sofia Hidén, site manager of Rottneros Bruk.

In June, she and a delegation from the mill participated in a tailored solar park training on site at the Glava Energy Center in Hillringsberg, outside Arvika.

The customer's knowledge base is important

– The training is a basic course for customers of solar parks, in this case a one-day training tailored for Rottneros Bruk. In order to be able to set sensible requirements adapted to the needs of the business, clients need a knowledge base and understanding of, for example, the basics of solar energy and of operation and maintenance aspects of the solar park concept, says Magnus Nilsson, CEO at Glava Energy Center, who held the training.

The solar park at Rottneros Bruk is expected to generate roughly 3 GWh annually, which can be compared with the group's annual need for purchased electricity, which amounts to around 220 GWh. The purpose of the battery storage is primarily to contribute to improved balance in the electricity market, something that also generates revenue and thus return on investment.

– Rottnero's mill is a large electricity consumer and this investment will only cover a small part of our electricity needs. But the solar cells enable more renewable energy in the system and via the battery storage we can contribute with support services to the electricity grid. The investment is thus in line with the sustainability focus at Rottneros Mill, says Sofia Hidén.

"More equipped for the project"

The solar park training in Glava is an example of Glava Energy Center's offer of customized training. For the delegation from Rottneros Bruk, the solar park training was both rewarding and inspiring.

– This training was a very instructive starting point for us. It has made us more equipped for the project, says Lars-Gunnar Carlsson, project manager for Rottnero's investment in solar parks and battery storage.

Caption: Lars-Gunnar Carlsson, project manager for Rottneros energy investment and Sofia Hidén, site manager of Rottneros Bruk.

Last edited: 26/06 2023

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Glava Energy Center is an innovation cluster and Sweden's largest test bed, innovation center and training provider in solar energy, solar cells, and energy systems. We have Northern Europe's largest test facility for solar energy and solar cells and are the country's largest independent training provider in the field. With close to 90 members, we operate for and within a broad competence network that includes entrepreneurs, academia, industry, startups, and the public sector.

Courses at Glava Energy Center

The solar energy industry sets records year after year in terms of the number of installations, installed capacity, and electricity production. Glava Energy Center offers a variety of independent training programs to enhance the quality and safety of the industry. Members receive a 10 percent discount on the course fee.

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Glava Energy Center is an innovation cluster in solar energy and sustainable energy systems. The cluster is founded in a broad, driven, and competent member network of local, regional, and national energy actors, a physical test infrastructure with around ten test beds, Northern Europe's largest test park for solar energy and over ten years of experience in innovation projects.