From left: Cecilia Wallmark, Khashayar Farmanbar and Joachim Nordin. Photo: Erik Sellgren, IVL
Northern Sweden Highlighted as a Leading Region for the Future Hydrogen Society
Northern Sweden has unique conditions to lead the development of the future hydrogen society. This was one of the key conclusions when representatives from industry, academia, the public sector and politics gathered at the conference World-Class Hydrogen in Northern Sweden during Society Expo 2026 in Skellefteå.
This development is driven by a combination of fossil-free energy, world-leading industry, strong research environments and extensive investments in new technologies. During the conference, several examples were presented showing how hydrogen is already being used and further developed in areas such as industry, transportation, aviation, energy supply and societal resilience.
Several presentations focused on the major industrial investments currently taking place in Norrbotten. LKAB, Stegra and other actors are driving the transition towards fossil-free production while new opportunities are emerging around the by-products generated through hydrogen production.
Erik Carlsson from Gällivare Näringsliv described how heat and oxygen from future hydrogen facilities could create opportunities for new fossil-free products and entirely new business activities.
Markus Odevall from LKAB emphasized the importance of long-term commitment and collaboration.
"Companies must have the courage to make an investment decision, and the courage to stay committed to it."
Hydrogen for Transportation and Energy Resilience
Several examples from Västerbotten highlighted how hydrogen can contribute to future transportation systems and resilient energy infrastructure.
Conny Reidefors from Skellefteå Kraft presented plans for an e-SAF facility producing sustainable aviation fuel. The planned production would correspond to the energy demand of Sweden’s entire domestic aviation sector and represents investments worth several billion Swedish kronor.
Fredrik Jonsson from Skellefteå Kraft described hydrogen refuelling stations in Storuman and Umeå that have been developed to operate even in temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius. Peter Rydebrink from Euromekanik presented a hydrogen production project at the Hedensbyn combined heat and power plant, where excess heat is recovered and utilized.
Henrik Littorin from Arctic Aviation Hub explained how hydrogen can be applied in both aviation and drone technology. He highlighted Skellefteå Droneport as an ideal environment for developing and testing hydrogen-powered drones for applications such as power line inspections and other critical societal functions.
Research and Education Presented
Cecilia Wallmark presented the activities of the Centre for Hydrogen Energy Systems Sweden (CH2ESS) at Luleå University of Technology. Her presentation highlighted the centre’s research, educational initiatives and collaboration with industry and societal stakeholders.
The conference also featured the results of the Hydrogen SIC! pre-study, funded by Vinnova, which explored the potential for establishing a national hydrogen excellence cluster. In addition, the results of a pre-study on hydrogen-related knowledge development in northern Sweden were presented.
Ulf Månsson from Skellefteå municipality emphasized the importance of coordinated training efforts to ensure that the right skills are in place when new investments go from planning to implementation.
"We had chosen the title 'World-class hydrogen' with care, and as an organizer, it feels good that in the conversations and from the presentations during the day we could jointly confirm that the actors individually and together live up to this in northern Sweden," Cecilia Wallmark said.
Sustainability and preparedness recurring themes
Several speakers emphasized that the hydrogen society of the future must be built with a focus on both sustainability and resilience. Sara Wård Edvall from IVL particularly highlighted the link between climate change adaptation, energy supply and societal preparedness.
The day ended with a broad consensus that northern Sweden has very good conditions to continue to develop as an internationally leading region in the hydrogen field. At the same time, the importance of continued cooperation between research, industry and the public sector was emphasized to translate the opportunities into practical development.
The conference was organized by the Centre for Hydrogen Energy Systems Sweden at Luleå University of Technology together with IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, Skellefteå Kraft and Skellefteå Municipality.
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