“Decision on electrification of the transport sector is urgent”

One third of Sweden’s national carbon dioxide emissions come from the transport sector. Therefore, the industry organizations for aviation, shipping and road transport have developed ambitious roadmaps for switching to fossil-free, within the framework of Fossil-Free Sweden.

The roadmaps show that electrification is one of the most important measures. Now the conditions for achieving this must be in place, and it is urgent if we are to achieve the goals. It shows the timeline for electrification of the transport sector, which The energy companies Sweden publish today.

Sweden is at the forefront of climate change and electrification is taking place on a broad front, when fossil fuels are being replaced by electricity. The transition has also begun in the transport sector, but it still accounts for a large share of Sweden’s national emissions and is strongly dependent on fossil fuels.

According to the roadmaps developed within the framework of Fossil-Free Sweden, both road transport, shipping and aviation can switch to fossil-free by 2045. In 10 years’ time, emissions from road and sea transport must have decreased by 70 percent according to national goals. We are convinced that it is possible, only the right conditions will be in place at the right time.

The availability of fossil-free electricity is a prerequisite for the restructuring of the entire transport sector. Electricity is needed for charging batteries, and for hydrogen production, which requires a lot of electricity. Biofuel production also needs fossil-free electricity.

In addition to the need for fossil-free electricity production to a sufficient extent, we must be able to trust that the electricity reaches the charging post or the hydrogen plant in order for the investments to take place. It requires immediate investments in the electricity networks, both in the form of expansion and efficient use of existing networks, among other things through increased flexibility.

We have all participated in the Energy Companies’ work to clarify and time-set how the transport sector’s adjustment can be made possible with the help of electrification.

In order for the conversion to be made in time, biofuels and transport efficiency are also of great importance, but this work focuses on electrification. This has resulted in the timeline for a fossil-free transport sector published today.

The timeline is one of several timelines that have been developed. It shows how the transport sector can get the right conditions as quickly as possible, What that needs to be done, when it needs to be done and comes who need to act.

We also see that the timeline is an important contribution to both the Electrification Commission’s work and the work of developing an electrification strategy for Sweden.

We are ready to make the investments that are expected from us. But we need help from politics with the right conditions to get the change in place in time.

In order for the electrification of the transport sector to be possible, the government above all needs to act in several areas, to ensure that the Swedish energy system can meet the transport sector’s future needs:

• The time for permit processes and land access for electricity networks must be significantly shortened. That is why the energy companies have developed a special timeline for just this. It shows that work on shorter and more efficient processes must begin immediately.

Already this year, 2021, the government needs to implement the proposals from the inquiry Modern permit processes for electricity networks, introduce a clear end date for the appeal of concession permits and clarify the Energy Market Inspectorate’s and the County Administrative Boards’ assignments with regard to weighing the system perspective in their assessment when deciding on cable and overhead lines.

• The outcome of the Electrification Commission’s work will be of great importance for the expansion of electric roads, charging infrastructure and hydrogen production to be in place in time so that the transport sector can reach the climate goals.

The government therefore needs to create the right conditions for a robust electricity network – where, among other things, revenue regulation needs to be reviewed and adapted so that it strengthens the Electrification Commission’s proposal and the electrification strategy developed within the Government Offices.

One of the obstacles to new electricity production is the expansion of the main grid, where Svenska kraftnät needs to implement a systematic, broad collaboration with the various actors in society regarding planning and prioritization of the main grid and electricity grid capacity.

• Buses, trucks, ships and planes are all run internationally, and an upcoming electrification must work no matter where they are run. Standardization of the infrastructure will affect how the Swedish energy system will be expanded in the future to be able to meet future needs.

Therefore, a discussion is needed at EU level on standardization of infrastructure for fossil-free transport, such as technical requirements for hydrogen infrastructure and fast chargers. This should start immediately, by the end of 2021 at the latest.

In addition to the fact that the energy industry needs the right conditions to be able to meet a future increased demand for fossil-free electricity, the transport sector must be given additional conditions in place in time. Some of the proposals presented in the timeline are:

• Ge The Swedish Energy Agency on assignment to investigate and propose a target for the rate of expansion for charging infrastructure, here shipping should also be included. The authority should also analyze whether financial support is needed to accelerate development.

This can be done, for example, through an increase in the Climate Step that the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency administers. It is important that the assignment takes into account that the expansion of charging infrastructure for passenger cars and heavy transport is coordinated, so that we have a clear roll-out plan that includes both national, regional and local level.

• The government should by 2022 commission the Swedish Energy Agency to support the development of, and research on, electric fuels in order to develop in a more cost-effective way technologies and methods for producing electric fuels for primarily aviation and shipping, but also for road transport and work machines.

• The flight will be electrified on shorter distances and require large amounts of electricity for the production of hydrogen and electric fuels for longer distances. The key to the green transition of aviation rests largely on the availability of fossil-free electricity. In addition to supporting the development of electric and hydrogen aviation technology, the government should investigate what necessary investments are required at Sweden’s airports and come up with a clear action plan. The inquiry should be appointed last 2025, preferably earlier.

We know that the government and the Riksdag have high expectations of the transport sector’s restructuring. Investments in electricity networks and removal of obstacles for electricity production are a prerequisite for this, as are other measures we have presented in the timeline. It’s time to move on!

Gunilla Andrée, acting CEO of Energiföretagen Sverige

Svante Axelsson, national coordinator Fossil-free Sweden

Jessica Alenius, vice vd BIL Sweden

Fredrik Larsson, environmental and climate manager Swedish Shipping

Marcus Dahlsten, CEO of Transportföretagen