Invest in Dalarna Agency

Hitachi Energy wins major contract with Swedish TSO Svenska kraftnät The contract includes 7 transformers and 48 shunt reactors from Hitachi Energy. Everything will be manufactured at the site in Ludvika kommun, says Tobias Hansson, Hitachi Energy's Country Manager for Sweden. The contract is worth around SEK 2.5 billion and the group has worked for around a year to win it, according to Mr. Hansson. Tobias Hansson is happy and pleased that Hitachi Energy won the order, an order in some respects historic. - This is the largest single order so far in terms of power transformers for the Swedish market. And for our part, it is one of the largest transformer and reactor orders for the factory in Ludvika. Hitachi Energy is undergoing a strong expansion, especially in Sweden. Tobias Hansson says that so far this year, they have recruited just over 1,000 people in Sweden. - I think that almost 90 percent of the applications are for Ludvika. We have an even higher pace than last year, last year we landed at just over 1,000 for the whole year. Tobias Hansson says that there is high interest for the new positions and that, for the most part, they have no problems attracting competence even for key positions. #investindalarna #smartenergysystems https://bit.ly/3WV7C9u

All time high for First Camp For the camping industry in Scandinavia, July is the most important month. This year was First Camp Group's best July ever. A turnover of SEK 516 million is the highest ever for the group. - We have invested heavy in our facilities, in recent years, to improve the guest experience and the investments are paying off well, says Johan Söör, CEO of First Camp. The growth compared to 2023 turns out to be primarily driven by more overnight stays, which indicates an increasing interest in camping. - During the pandemic, many Swedes discovered the joy of camping. You discover how much Sweden has to offer, it provides close-to-nature experiences and is affordable compared to charter trips abroad. For Orsa camping, First Camp’s camping site in Orsa Kommun, the revenue outcome increased by 16 percent in July compared to July last year and Moraparken, the camping site in Mora kommun, increased by 15 percent. - It's great to see that both Orsa and Moraparken have done even better than the five percent that is the increase for the entire group, says Johan Söör. - It is largely our local teams that have created this. Thanks to their efforts, many guests are satisfied and return and that is what lies behind these numbers. With over 70 destinations, First Camp is Scandinavia's largest camping operator. They have seven destinations in Dalarna. - Dalarna is our most important region, about a quarter of our entire group is there. One of the strengths of Dalarna is tourist seasons in both summer and winter, which is quite rare, says Johan Söör. #investindalarna #visitdalarna https://bit.ly/3yKGJNy

Nordic Iron Ore is hiring - Thanks to the successful capitalization can we now take the next step towards a producing mine, says Ronne Hamerslag, CEO of mining company Nordic Iron Ore AB Iron Ore. The successful capitalization that the CEO refers to is a directed share issue just before midsummer 2024. It included around 31 million shares at a subscription price of SEK 5.3 per share. Corresponding to a total of approximately SEK 163 million. - With that money in the coffers, we can now start building the organization, says Ronne Hamerslag and adds: - We are very grateful for the support and trust that our new and existing shareholders have shown us through this investment. Their high quality, including the international commodities trader Cargill as well as a commodities specialist fund Svelland Capital, enables us to continue our preparatory activities for the planned mining operation. The staff the company is looking for right now are in leading and strategic positions within the company such as Technical Director, Director Environment, Health and Safety and Director Purchasing. In addition, they are looking for a Chief Geologist, a Logistics Manager as well as Senior Project Managers, Process Engineers and Mining Engineers. - We hope to be able to fill the positions in the autumn to accelerate our work with technology and profitability studies, continues Ronne Hamerslag, who himself became employed at NIO in 2022. The plans to open the mine in Blötberget in Ludvika kommun have been going on for a long time and according to Ronne Hamerslag, the mining industry is a patience-testing industry, but that it is "only a matter of time" before the mine can be opened for mining iron ore and contribute to the transition to a fossil-free steel industry. - In a little over a year, we expect to start hiring more staff for the construction of the mine and the upcoming start of production. We are on our way, but it takes time, Mr Hamerslag concludes. #investindalarna #sustainablemining https://bit.ly/4fKrIf9

Ovako invests MSEK 100 in the Smedjebacken Steel Mill Ovako Group is set to further its commitment to innovation and efficiency with a new investment of € 9 million (approximately 100 million SEK) in the Smedjebacken steel mill, according to a press release from the company in July. The new facility is scheduled to be operational after the summer in 2026. Following previous significant investments, including a new exhaust gas filter, continuous casting machine, and a vacuum tank degassing (VTD) system, this new funding will ensure continued production efficiency and modernization. The investment includes the replacement of the 50-year-old phase compensation system with an SVC Light® cutting-edge STATCOM system from Hitachi Energy. The upgrade will ensure compliance with current industry standards for power quality and flicker levels. It is expected to deliver significant savings in energy and electrode consumption while also enhancing the productivity of the electric arc furnace. “This investment underscores our commitment to maintaining the highest standards of efficiency and sustainability in our operations. The new STATCOM system will not only meet today's stringent requirements but also enhance our productivity and reduce energy consumption,” says Nicholas Källsäter, President Business Unit SmeBox. - It is good news that Ovako continues to invest in its facility in Smedjebacken. Ovako is the municipality's largest employer, and the new investments show that they want to continue developing their business here, says Fredrik Rönning Mayor of Smedjebackens Kommun. Mayor Rönning thinks that the fact that Hitachi Energy will deliver the new system is very positive: - Another proof that we have world-leading industries here in the Bergslagen region. #investindalarna #sustainablemanufacturing https://bit.ly/46E3dMB

NKT is a key player in the green transition To electrify society, cables are needed. A lot of cables. That's where the cable manufacturer NKT in Falun comes in, the plant receives part of the group's investment of SEK 1.1 billion. - The transition is positive for Falun, says Peter Marcusson, Nordic Director of Sales for Utilities The power grids need large investments. What do the grids consist of? Cables. And where are those cables manufactured? In Falu kommun - among other places. - It's great fun, it's an industry that is very forward-leaning. We have not experienced this before, that suddenly there is a demand for our products that you should dig in the ground and preferably not see, but no one wants to live without the function in them, says Peter Marcusson. What NKT calls the "cable-ification" of Sweden really began in 2006 after the storm Gudrun. - Until then, Sweden's distribution network consisted of a lot of overhead lines. Demands were made that the electricity grid owners should compensate customers for interruptions. An underground line is reliable, the trees can fall as they wish. In other places, new industries and power grid reinforcements drove development. In the last couple of years, wind turbines have become larger and larger. This means that the cables also need to increase in scope and, in turn, production needs to be expanded. - For the past two years, we have followed developments in the market and recently we have announced investments of 100 million euros in three factories. This means new recruitments in all three, says Ebbe Jensen, Vice President, Head of Nordics factories Asnaes & Falun. In SEK, 1.1 billion will be invested in the factories in Falun in Sweden, Asnæs in Denmark and Velké Meziříčí in the Czech Republic. 150 people are to be employed. How large share, both in terms of employees and invested money, ends up in Falun is not disclosed. Last year, the factory in Falun delivered the first of what they call low-carbon cables. In short, this means, that part of the crude oil used in the production of the mantle has been replaced with renewable raw materials. #investindalarna #smartenergysystems #sustainableproduction https://bit.ly/3zl1W0k

New large shareholder in Nordic Iron Ore Last Wednesday, Nordic Iron Ore AB Iron Ore carried out a directed share issue. The issue included approximately 31 million shares at a subscription price of SEK 5.3 per share, which corresponds to approximately SEK 163 million. Both new international investors, including Cargill and Svelland Capital, and Nordic ones as well as existing shareholders participated. With the new issue, Cargill becomes the largest shareholder with approximately 17 percent of the shares. Cargill Inc. is a global player in commodity trading. They have entered into an agreement with Nordic Iron Ore worth approximately SEK 35 billion to buy 25 million tons of ultra-high-enriched iron ore concentrate from the Blötberget mine in Ludvika kommun. “We are very grateful for the support and trust our new and existing shareholders have shown us through this investment. I am very pleased with the high quality of the new investors, including the global raw materials giant Cargill and that a raw materials specialized fund like Svelland Capital is a new shareholder with 9.9 percent", says Ronne Hamerslag, CEO of Nordic Iron Ore, in a press release. #investindalarna #sustainablemining https://bit.ly/3VV8BY6

Sawmill Sveden Trä's latest MSEK investment inaugurated In the last two years, Sveden Trä has invested around SEK 300 million in the company's facilities. Last Tuesday, it was the inauguration of the new unique fully automatic plant for pressure impregnation in Rågsveden, Vansbro kommun, an investment of SEK 50 million. - It feels absolutely fantastic that we now have this ultra-modern facility in place, stated the company's owner and CEO Per-Erik Andersson. The new facility is the first of its kind in Sweden. What makes the facility unique, is the possibility to combine standard green impregnation with brown and fire impregnation. The agent used, and which Sveden Trä has been licensed to use, is called Brunlock and is a natural agent produced by a Danish company with a world patent. The method used in the impregnation is based on salt, which makes it more environmentally friendly than other variants on the market. - When the County Administrative Board visited us, they could confirm that we meet the existing environmental requirements, and more, says Per-Erik Andersson. The plant, which is now fully operational, has been supplied by the Italian company ISVE S.p.A. The 2,000 square meter industrial premise has been built by local contractors and Sveden Trä. - Since our family took over operations of the sawmill in 1960, refining our raw materials has been a consistent and strong keyword, concludes Per-Erik Andersson. #investindalarna #sustainablemanufacturing #bioeconomy https://bit.ly/45FlmJF

Large investment in workshop for locomotives in Borlänge Train Alliance Sweden AB is investing SEK 76 million in a new modern locomotive workshop in Borlänge. German company Akiem will run the operations. After years of discussions and planning. Construction of the locomotive workshop at Rågåker is now underway. The plan is for it to be ready in the late autumn of 2024. Train Alliance leases the workshop to German Akiem for 25 years. - The plan is for the facility to be put into operation in late autumn, says Joakim Weijmer, CEO at Train Alliance. How many jobs will be created is currently unclear. The workshop being built is adapted to the latest locomotive types. They require different dimensions than the older vehicles, not least in terms of interior height in the workshop. This is so that modules can be lifted out of the locomotive. The area will be 1,300 square meters. The fact that this large investment ended up in Borlänge kommun is of course no coincidence. - The reason for choosing Borlänge is the heavy freight line that runs through the town. There is a larger freight and shunting yard that enables extensive freight traffic, which also means that locomotives and wagons are concentrated in Borlänge, notes Joakim Weijmer. Borlänge municipality has welcomed the investment and is happy that companies are investing in Borlänge. Train Alliance wants to create a national network for locomotive maintenance. - Train Alliance is building a line structure in Sweden that includes Malmö, Gothenburg and Hallsberg. And Borlänge, which in this context is a given place for freight traffic, says Joakim Weijmer. #investindalarna #smarttransportation https://bit.ly/3Vwcilq

Hitachi Energy's investment breaks records It was grand visions that were highlighted when Hitachi Energy spoke about the new multimillion-dollar investment in Ludvika, earlier this week. And in the vision, Ludvika is a central component. Of the 2,000 new jobs that are being talked about, the majority will land in Ludvika. - Ludvika is a beacon, said Bruno Melle, international Managing Director of the Transformers Business Unit, who was visiting. On Monday, a high-level meeting was held at Hitachi Energy 's headquarters in Ludvika to inform about the investment. Dalarna's governor Helena Höij was one of the guests, along with the mayors of the municipalities of Ludvika kommun and Smedjebackens Kommun, together with several senior managers from Hitachi Energy. The most senior of these was Bruno Melle who gave a speech about Hitachi Energy, a leading company with a mission to electrify society. - There is a hunger for electricity both in industry and civil society. There is a need for digitization and service and Hitachi Energy is a leader in that technology at all levels, he said. He listed Hitachi Energy’s factories in several countries, but consistently returned to Ludvika. - Ludvika is a beacon. Here, new investments are being announced almost every month. How central Ludvika is in the new investment is made even clearer by Thomas Wennberg Transformers Manager Sweden. His comparison stretches back to something like the beginning. - For Ludvika, this is a major milestone. It is the largest investment in 120 years. We are building a full-scale production line for our transformers. It's about a 40-50 percent increase, so it's no small thing. Ludvika's Mayor Leif Pettersson (S) agreed that the whole thing can be difficult to grasp. - It is incredible to hear about these investments and that there is such trust in Ludvika and the factory here. It's an interesting challenge to be a part of, he said, referring to the expected need for more housing and improved infrastructure, as well as the range of activities. - We are a fairly small city that will play in the "super league" now, he added. #investindalarna #smartenergysystems #sustainablemanufacturing https://bit.ly/4eqiWT9

Borlänge company signs agreement with Boliden E-Mobility is developing a new mobile product for the metal company Boliden. - It would surprise me if not more metal and mining players follow in Boliden's footsteps in the future, says Martin Götesson, CEO of E-Mobility. E-Mobility at Södra Backa in Borlänge kommun, is a company in the Soltech Energy Sweden AB group with specialist expertise in large-scale electric car charging installations and highly efficient charging infrastructure. The company has entered into a technology development agreement with the metal company Boliden. E-mobility will now develop and sell mobile charging containers to Boliden that will be used to charge battery-powered mining machines in their underground mine in Kristineberg. The tech solution that is currently being developed is a mobile charging station in the form of charging containers that are adapted for the underground environment in a mine. The solution will be easy to move as the mine is gradually expanded. The development project is part of Boliden's focus on expanding its charging infrastructure to get one step closer to realizing the all-electric mine of the future, according to the press release. - The mobile charging stations for the mining machines will save a lot of time, space and create a smarter charging infrastructure in the mining system. It would surprise me if not more metal and mining players will start looking at this type of tech solution and follow in Boliden's footsteps going forward, says Martin Götesson, CEO of E-Mobility. #investindalarna #smartenergysystems https://bit.ly/4aUylrT