Swedish oil exit

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Block of flats in Gothenburg- Angered
Heleneholmsverket thermal power station in Malmö

The Swedish oil phase-out refers to the measures of Sweden's energy policy that follow the Swedish government's announcement that it intends to make itself independent of oil as part of the energy transition. It goes back to the recommendations of the Commission against Oil Dependence ( Commissions mot Oljeberoende ), which met in December 2005.

In 2015 the Swedish government reaffirmed its goal of becoming one of the first fossil-free welfare nations . According to the International Energy Agency (IEA) from 2013, Sweden plans to abandon fossil fuels for heating by 2020 and for automobiles by 2030.

In order to achieve this goal, the use of non-renewable energy sources in road traffic and in industry should be massively reduced. In addition, all buildings should only be heated with renewable energy sources in the future. Overall energy efficiency would have to increase by 20 percent.

Political target

The social democratic minority government under Göran Persson , tolerated by the Greens and the Left Party , advocated a radical move away from fossil fuels in 2005. Sweden should be the first country in the world to become independent of fossil fuels.

There are four reasons for this:

  • The Influence of the Price of Oil on Growth and Employment of the Swedish Economy;
  • The interaction between oil, peace and security around the world;
  • Sweden's great potential to use its own renewable energies instead of oil;
  • The threat of climate change as a result of extensive burning of fossil fuels .

Although a complete cessation of the petroleum-based energy supply is not intended, 2020 is seen as the target for the "oil phase-out in Sweden".

Commission against Oil Addiction

Composition of the Commission

Members of the commission were the Swedish Prime Minister ( State Minister ) Göran Persson as chairman of the commission as well as representatives from research, business and society, such as Christian Azar ( Chalmers University of Technology ), Lars Andersson ( bioenergy researcher ), Lotta Bångens (spokesperson for Swedish energy consultants ) , Birgitta Johansson-Hedberg ( CEO of Lantmännen ), Leif Johansson (CEO of Volvo ), Göran Johnsson (Chairman of the Swedish Metalworkers Association), Christer Segersteen (spokesman for forest owners in the Swedish Farmers Association) and Lisa Sennerby-Forsse (Chief Secretary of the Research Council for the Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning - Formas).

Commission recommendations

The Commission's report, Towards Sweden's Oil Free Way (På väg mot ett oljefritt Sverige) was published in June 2006. The committee recommends that the following goals be achieved by 2020:

  • the use of fossil fuels in road traffic is to be reduced by 40 to 50 percent.
  • the use of fossil fuels in industry is to be reduced by 25 to 40 percent.
  • In the future, all buildings will only be heated with renewable energy sources.
  • energy efficiency is to be increased by a total of 20 percent.

The long-term goal is to replace crude oil with renewable energies and energy-saving measures and thus completely stop the consumption of fossil fuels. Sweden is thus pushing the turnaround in energy policy that was initiated during the oil price shocks of the 1970s. In 1970 Sweden still covered 77 percent of its total energy consumption with oil. By 2006 the proportion could be reduced to around 34 percent. The remaining portion is largely generated from nuclear energy (33.5% in 2003) and hydropower .

The planned reduction in carbon emissions is to be achieved in part through the implementation of the committee's proposals. The current energy minister, Mona Sahlin , stated: "There will always be better alternatives to oil. This means that no household needs oil for heating and no car driver should only be dependent on gasoline." In addition, it is expected that the oil phase-out will strengthen Sweden's role in sustainable development and increase international competitiveness in the economic field.

Energy sources

Hydroelectric power station at Stornorrfors

Under these conditions, technical solutions include the further development of solar cells , wind parks , wave power plants , a large increase in district heating systems , the increased use of heat pumps and the cultivation of local biofuels . It is expected that the research, development and commercialization of these technologies will be supported by the government.

The committee also recommends that the government should not encourage an increase in the use of natural gas, as it is feared that this would stunt the development of biofuels and encourage the use of gas as an oil substitute.

power consumption

Tram in Gothenburg

In order to reduce energy consumption, the committee plans that by 2020 at least 75 percent of all new buildings will be operated below the energy-technical requirement level of low-energy houses , similar to the building standard for passive houses in Germany. Furthermore, it is necessary to modernize existing houses, which includes switching from heating systems to district heating , biofuels or heat pumps .

With this measure, the government also hopes to increase the use of home work , video conferencing , internet conferences , public transport , waterways , hybrid drives and smaller, lighter cars powered by biodiesel .

With the reduced consumption in industry, the Swedish regulation for the issuing of emission allowances provides for a 25% reduction from their initial level by 2020.

Presumably, the tax system, education and public initiatives will also be used to influence energy decisions.

Measures implemented and progress

Total oil consumption in Sweden decreased by 0.8% annually between 2000 and 2013.

The recommendations of the committee were supported by the national automotive industry (BIL Sweden). The timber industry was against the recommendations, fearing that domestically produced profitable exports would be exchanged for low-income domestic production of biofuels.

In 2008, 43% of the primary energy used in Sweden came from renewable sources. Sweden was thus the front runner in the EU.

Centerpartiet ( The Center Party ) proposed in 2008 for Sweden to ban gasoline vehicles by 2025 and oil heating by 2020.

In September 2015 the Swedish government announced that it would invest 4.5 billion Swedish kronor (470 million euros) in climate-effective measures in 2016. The focus should be on solar energy , wind energy , energy storage , intelligent networks , cleaner transport, environmental technology , a bicycle strategy and international climate work .

In June 2016, a two-year field test began on the use of overhead line trucks on the E16 motorway between the port of Gävle and an industrial area in Sandviken two kilometers away . The eHighway system from Siemens is used with two converted trucks from Scania .

See also

Web links

English-language web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The Goal is a fossil-free Sweden , statement of November 24, 2015 on government.se, accessed April 27, 2017
  2. ↑ a b Energy Policies of IEA Countries - Sweden, Review 2013 , website of the International Energy Agency (IEA), pp. 57–65, pdf, accessed on April 27, 2017
  3. ↑ a b Complete renunciation of oil , at Telepolis , February 8, 2006, accessed on April 28, 2017
  4. ↑ a b Making Sweden an OIL-FREE Society - Commission on Oil Independence, June 21, 2006 , at government.se, pdf in English, accessed April 28, 2017
  5. ↑ a b På väg mot ett oljefritt Sverige - Commissions mot oljeberoende, June 21, 2006 , On the way to Sweden's freedom from oil - The Commission against Oil Dependence , at regeringen.se, pdf in Swedish, accessed on April 27, 2017
  6. ↑ Sweden wants to get rid of oil by 2020 . Der Spiegel , February 9, 2006, accessed on April 28, 2017
  7. ↑ Alan AtKisson: Letter from Sweden: Fossil Fuel-Free by 2020, Maybe ( Memento of 15 November 2006 at the Internet Archive ). In: Worldchanging. August 18, 2006
  8. ↑ Patrik Marckert: Sweden Has the Largest Share of Renewable Energy in Europe. In: RenewableTech. blogspot.com, accessed August 13, 2008 .
  9. ↑ Förbjud bensinbilar 2025 och oljeeldning i hus 2020 ( Memento from May 19, 2009 in the Internet Archive ), November 15, 2008 from Dagens Nyheter , accessed on 15. December 2012
  10. ↑ Sweden boosts renewables to become first fuel free nation , September 16, 2015 at bloomberg.com, accessed April 27, 2017
  11. ↑ Regeringen investerar för klimatet , The government invests in the climate , September 16, 2015 at regeringen.se, accessed on April 27, 2017
  12. ↑ eHighway - Siemens Global Website called on April 27, 2017
  13. ↑ Scania - World's first electric road opens in Sweden , accessed April 27, 2017