There was an explosion in one of the production untis.
It has been nearly three weeks since the explosion at Northvolt Ett in Skellefteå on November 4th. In police interviews, an employee at Northvolt mentioned that the powerful blast felt like an earthquake. It is likely that a sanitation machine exploded.
The cause of the explosion is still unknown. Mikael Stenmark, Northvolt's chief safety officer, previously explained that the sanitation machine is used to vacuum up debris and leftovers from production.
– It is located above the production area and works like a large central vacuum cleaner. The filter has to be changed regularly. While the filter is being changed, a smaller vacuum cleaner is used to pick up any materials that fall down. Somewhere in this process there was an explosion followed by a huge fire, he said a few days after the incident.
Mikael Stenmark, head of safety, Northvolt.
After the explosion, a 25-year-old man was taken by ambulance to the hospital with severe burns. Later that evening, it was decided to transfer him to Akademiska hospital in Uppsala. Since then, he has been cared for in a special unit at Akademiska hospital, one of Sweden's two specialist burns units.
Now Norran can report that the injured man comes from a European country. He arrived here in the summer to work at Northvolt and has since been registered in Skellefteå municipality.
The man is being treated in Uppsala.
When Norran contacted Akademiska hospital in Uppsala earlier this week, the man was still under sedation and being treated for life-threatening injuries. According to hospital staff Norran spoke to, the man has a close relative in Uppsala.
Several investigations have been launched following the explosion. Northvolt, for example, has launched its own investigation.
– We have worked with both internal and external experts to determine the cause of the accident. It has been a difficult time for the employees. There have been many discussions and meetings. We have tried to answer employees' questions with the information we have. It has been a tough few weeks, said Sanna Bäckström, spokesperson for Northvolt Ett, in an earlier interview with Norran this week.
Sanna Bäckström, communicator at Northvolt Ett.
The police have also opened an investigation into the accident. The case is categorized as a suspected occupational crime resulting in bodily harm.
The Swedish Work Environment Authority (Arbetsmiljöverket) has also been involved in the aftermath of the incident.