Residual heat to become district heating – EU support for Gällivare project
In a few years, waste heat from industry will heat homes and workplaces in Gällivare. The project is one of several in Norrbotten that will receive 108 million kronor in EU funds.
Today it was decided which projects are next in line to receive money that will create a smarter, greener and more interconnected EU.
The investment in Gällivare is about utilizing the residual heat from fossil-free steel production. It is Gällivare Energi that wants to update the district heating system so that it is ready when the production of the fossil-free steel starts. The project is being granted just over four million kronor.
– Being able to circulate and reuse energy is an important piece of the puzzle when we build the climate-smarter Norrbotten of the future, says Helena Ölund, chairwoman of the regional development committee.
Two projects dealing with sustainable transport in Norrbotten are also receiving support. The municipality of Arvidsjaur will conduct a feasibility study on how the car testing industry's freight transport can be done by train instead of by road. The new solution will be both safer, cheaper and better for the climate.
The municipality of Boden is receiving support related to transportation to the new industrial area where, among other things, H2 Green Steel will be located. The project will receive just over eleven million kronor for public transport connections, bus stops, charging stations for electric bicycles and cycle paths to the new industrial area. The goal is that staff, external visitors and residents of the municipality will be able to get to the industrial area in an efficient and sustainable way.
There will also be an investment in small and medium-sized companies in Norrbotten. The support will go to initiatives that strengthen the companies' competitiveness and attractiveness, innovation capacity and ability to internationalize. The support will also go to investing in a green and digital transition. The project will receive just over 74 million SEK to distribute among the companies.
A total of SEK 108 million in funds from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) is being distributed to projects in Norrbotten and Västerbotten.
The decision on which projects are prioritized was made today by the Structural Funds Partnership for Upper Norrland.
Here are all the projects that receive ERDF funds.
Facts about Structural Fund Partnerships
The Structural Fund partnerships are intended to facilitate common priorities between regional development policy, labour market policy and EU cohesion policy.
The partnership gives priority to applications for the European Regional Development Fund programme and the European Social Fund programme. The Övre Norrland Structural Fund partnership covers the counties of Norrbotten and Västerbotten.
The Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth and Development and the Swedish ESF Council as managing authorities make the formal decisions for each project.
Contact
Monica Lejon, Head of Unit Business and Society
monica.lejon@norrbotten.se