Sweden plans to be world's first oil-free economy

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Sweden plans to be world's first oil-free economy

 

 

· 15-year limit set for switch to renewable energy

· Biofuels favoured over further nuclear power

 

John Vidal, environment editor

Wednesday February 8, 2006

The Guardian

 

Sweden is to take the biggest energy step of any advanced western economy by trying to wean itself off oil completely within 15 years - without building a new generation of nuclear power stations.

The attempt by the country of 9 million people to become the world's first practically oil-free economy is being planned by a committee of industrialists, academics, farmers, car makers, civil servants and others, who will report to . in several months.

The intention, the Swedish government said yesterday, is to replace all fossil fuels with renewables before climate change destroys economies and growing oil scarcity leads to huge new price rises.

"Our dependency on oil should be broken by 2020," said Mona Sahlin, minister of sustainable development. "There shall always be better alternatives to oil, which means no house should need oil for heating, and no driver should need to turn solely to gasoline."

 

According to the energy committee of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, there is growing concern that global oil supplies are peaking and will shortly dwindle, and that a global economic recession could result from high oil prices.

 

Ms Sahlin has described oil dependency as one of the greatest problems facing the world. "A Sweden free of fossil fuels would give us enormous advantages, not least by reducing the impact from fluctuations in oil prices," she said. "The price of oil has tripled since 1996."

 

A government official said: "We want to be both mentally and technically prepared for a world without oil. The plan is a response to global climate change, rising petroleum prices and warnings by some experts that the world may soon be running out of oil."

 

Sweden, which was badly hit by the oil price rises in the 1970s, now gets almost all its electricity from nuclear and hydroelectric power, and relies on fossil fuels mainly for transport. Almost all its heating has been converted in the past decade to schemes which distribute steam or hot water generated by geothermal energy or waste heat. A 1980 referendum decided that nuclear power should be phased out, but this has still not been finalised.

 

The decision to abandon oil puts Sweden at the top of the world green league table. Iceland hopes by 2050 to power all its cars and boats with hydrogen made from electricity drawn from renewable resources, and Brazil intends to power 80% of its transport fleet with ethanol derived mainly from sugar cane within five years.

 

Last week George Bush surprised analysts by saying that the US was addicted to oil and should greatly reduce imports from the Middle East. The US now plans a large increase in nuclear power.

 

The British government, which is committed to generating 10% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2012, last month launched an energy review which has a specific remit to consider a large increase in nuclear power. But a report by accountants Ernst & Young yesterday said that the UK was falling behind in its attempt to meet its renewables target.

 

"The UK has Europe's best wind, wave and tidal resources yet it continues to miss out on its economic potential," said Jonathan Johns, head of renewable energy at Ernst & Young.

 

Energy ministry officials in Sweden said they expected the oil committee to recommend further development of biofuels derived from its massive forests, and by expanding other renewable energies such as wind and wave power.

 

Sweden has a head start over most countries. In 2003, 26% of all the energy consumed came from renewable sources - the EU average is 6%. Only 32% of the energy came from oil - down from 77% in 1970.

 

The Swedish government is working with carmakers Saab and Volvo to develop cars and lorries that burn ethanol and other biofuels. Last year the Swedish energy agency said it planned to get the public sector to move out of oil. Its health and library services are being given grants to convert from oil use and homeowners are being encouraged with green taxes. The paper and pulp industries use bark to produce energy, and sawmills burn wood chips and sawdust to generate power.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/oil/story/0,,1704954,00.html

 

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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=490 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>by Sam Rawlings

Mar 2, 2006

Positive News Issue 47</TD></TR><TR><TD height=10></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>By 2020 Sweden aims to become a virtually oil-free economy, a bold step that will require co-operation from individuals and industry alike.

Already one of Europe’s leading countries in green energy, Sweden gets 26 per cent of its power from renewable sources compared to the six per cent European average. In the last decade, much of Sweden’s domestic heating has been converted to geothermal power, harnessing the abundance of natural heat and reducing demand for imported fuels.

“A Sweden free of fossil fuels would give us huge advantages, not least by reducing the impact from fluctuations in oil prices,” said the Swedish Minister for Sustainable Development, Mona Sahlin. “An increasing number of countries are recognising the problem with fossil fuels. Sweden has the chance to be an international model and a successful factor in export markets for alternative solutions.”

The Swedish government hopes to reach its goals through focusing on every aspect of oil consumption. Companies known to produce high carbon emissions will be taxed and subsidies will be available for those wanting to convert to green energy. On a domestic level, those who use cars that run on biodiesel will be exempt from some motoring taxes, as well as enjoying the benefits of green fuel being cheaper.

Sweden has long held environmental, ethical policies and has been in the process of phasing out nuclear power since 1980. This latest radical step was prompted by the increasing costs of oil and the evergrowing evidence of global warming. “If we don’t do anything or we wait too long, the transition could be brutal and costly. Then we’ll be forced to adapt to circumstances with decreasing room for manoeuvre,” said Mona Sahlin. “But if we act with foresight, we could have a smooth process of transition using new, clean, efficient technology and continue our global economic and social progress.”

Although Sweden is the first to set a target of this enormity, other countries also have long term plans to reduce their consumption of finite resources. Earlier this year, even US President George Bush spoke of America’s ‘addiction’ to oil. Addressing Congress, he said: “The best way to break this addiction is through technology.” Iceland is planning to convert all its country’s vehicles to run on environmentally friendly fuel and the UK aims to receive 10 per cent of its power through renewable means by the year 2012. Modest as some of these pledges are, they show an increasing awareness among governments of the implications of continuing to use fossil fuels – the first step towards an international effort to combat climate change. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>