Skellefteå is more than Northvolt, Åsa Svanberg.
"I feel sorry for everyone who lives in Skellefteå."
These words were spoken by a stranger I encountered at a recent event.
Of course, I stopped in my tracks, turned around and was actually quite pissed off that he felt sorry for the people of Skellefteå.
"Why do you feel sorry for me?" I asked.
The man, a Stockholmer, turned pale when he realized where I was from.
"Northvolt," he replied quietly, sounding almost like he was saying "Voldemort" in a Harry Potter novel.
It's not easy to be a Skellefteå resident out and about in Sweden these days. About a month ago, I was constantly answering questions about production capacity, profitability, and scalability. It seemed like just being from Skellefteå automatically made me an expert on Northvolt's operations.
But I did my best to be a positive ambassador, confidently assuring people that batteries would undoubtedly be produced in Skellefteå for a long time to come.
Now that the questions on my travels have shifted from curious inquiries about how things are going up there to pity for the unfortunate people of Skellefteå, I need to come up with new answers.
Åsa Svanberg is an independent editorial writer at Norran.
Northvolt's future is a complex issue.
Those who only see the situation from a business financial perspective paint a bleak picture, and perhaps they're right.
However, those who consider the geopolitical implications see significant risks in letting Northvolt fail, as few want to give China sole dominance in the battery market.
Those who prioritize national interests obviously don't want to risk taxpayers' money. But creating strong industries connected to the green transition is also in the nation's best interest.
The recent news about downsizing has caused many to become doomsday prophets, including the news media and social media "professionals," as if this were the beginning of the end.
However, if the announced cutbacks are the extent of the changes, then Northvolt is still on track with its original plan of having around 2,500 employees. That's still a significant operation.
The news of Skellefteå Kraft's investment in green aviation fuel is the latest proof that the green transition continues in the region.
I can't predict the future, but I don't want people to feel sorry for us Skellefteå residents.
I still want to be able to say that this is the place for Sweden's new industrialization. What's happening now is to be expected when a giant startup operates in an environment with economic crisis and declining demand. But the global trend of electrification and green transition will continue, regardless of Northvolt's production problems. The news about Skellefteå Kraft's investment in green aviation fuel is the latest evidence of this.
So what did I say to the man who felt sorry for me? I explained that Skellefteå doesn't rise or fall with Northvolt. We were here long before Northvolt and will continue to be here, hopefully alongside Northvolt, but most certainly with other green transition industries.
I can only hope that we'll soon receive some positive news about Northvolt, as a company bankruptcy would undoubtedly be a significant blow to our confidence. But for now, we can only rely on what we know to be true.
Skellefteå is a home to winners: there's absolutely no need to pity us.
Skellefteå AIK SM-guld 2024