The Big Battery Factory

[Canny lass]

Pity they aren't interested in establishing themselves here! Northvolt premises should be available soon! They promised the earth but despite having thousands employed they haven't been able to produce more than 5% of what they promised. BMW, one of their biggest investors has withdrawn an order for billions because Northvolt simply isn't meeting the promised production and Scania have done likewise. Plans for a further three factories has been placed on hold. Soon there won't be any need for batteries here as sales of EVs has plummeted because of the uncertainty. Having said that, it hasn't helped that Northvolt has had a spate of 'mysterious deaths 'at their factory this year or that petrol prices have reached an all-time low.

[Vic Patterson]

Ditto Canada. Our government is also pouring BILLIONS of dollars into foreign companies to build batteries but we are still to see production! or any significant improvement in battery technology that make EV's viable in our climate and geography.

Steam and electricity were the automobile preferred means of power until gasoline/petrol took over, (gasoline/petrol was a discarded byproduct) when and if they improve EV's to be at least as practical  in all environments, and not just city driving. Industry will be clamouring to build batteries and not having to be bribed too!

I don't see ANY proposals for remote or emergency electrical generation that presently uses IC. I rely on my small IC generator for our power outages, especially at -40c or +30c! I can see small nuclear power packs! I still think tidal power is still the largest unharness source of global power! 

I do hope that the proposed Data Center is built, even if the employment numbers aren't as large as advertised, there is still construction and then maintenance.

 

  

[Canny lass]

Breaking News - Northvolt have just announced that 1 600 jobs must go at the Skellefteå factory! I wonder what they'll do with all the housing that was built especially to accommodate the workforce that was 'needed'.

I agree with you, Vic, that tidal energy is worth looking at more closely. The tides are reliant on the sun and the moon and they aren't going anywhere so they should be a constant, reliable source. Sweden doesn't have a great deal of tidal water so it's maybe not the best option here but the Faroe Islands (Denmark) are investing heavily in tidal energy, planting 'kites' on the ocean floor that then sway in the tidal waters just as real kites sway in the air. They are planning on being totally converted to tidal power by 2030 so that project is worth watching.

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

2 hours ago, Canny lass said:

Breaking News - Northvolt have just announced that 1 600 jobs must go at the Skellefteå factory!

Their web site still showing 3,500+ jobs :- 

https://northvolt.com/manufacturing/ett/

 

[Vic Patterson]

6 hours ago, Canny lass said:

that tidal energy is worth looking at more closely

Our Bay of Fundy has up to 16 meter tidal difference, I didn't realize that many countries were successfully using tidal/wave power, once harnessed the power, electricity can be moved over very long distances! Canada has lots of Hydro power.

[Canny lass]

13 hours ago, Alan Edgar (Eggy1948) said:

Their web site still showing 3,500+ jobs :- 

The news bulletin was just released on Friday night. What Northvolt have said is that "1 600 jobs must go". From what I understand, 1 000 of these jobs are at the factory, 400 are at the labs for product development and 200 at the head office in Stockholm so they are spread over the whole company. As yet nobody has been given notice of termination of employment, so you won't see any changes yet. Just a couple of weeks ago they were talking about just 300 jobs that must go!  Naturally, the unions are up in arms.

I think most people have expected this as Northvolt has been experiencing a financial crisis for a couple of years now and bankruptcy has been up for discussion on several occasions.

[Canny lass]

10 hours ago, Vic Patterson said:

Canada has lots of Hydro power.

Same here. The biggest distributor is in fact called Waterfall.

[Vic Patterson]

6 hours ago, Canny lass said:

Same here. The biggest distributor is in fact called Waterfall.

Over here no one calls electricity electricity they call it Hydro! still confuses me.... (so easily done)

[Canny lass]

Did I understand you correctly, Vic, - your electricity comes from waterpower?

[Vic Patterson]

1 hour ago, Canny lass said:

Did I understand you correctly, Vic, - your electricity comes from waterpower?

Yes, 60% the rest is a mix, nuclear, gas, oil, wind, solar, stopped using coal but sell it to the USA who generate with it and we buy that power! $$$ its odd when people loose hydro, meaning electricity!  

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/cambois-qts-blackstone-datacentre-30040349?fbclid=IwY2xjawFo1G1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHelTQqer6zG_UMIyHLIej9wtdt55fpMWziqjd2EJh_jgRYQLM85ZoS9rQg_aem_Kw40vxjBh9gk9qudhLBkKA

 

[Canny lass]

Nice! I like the idea of the community drop-ins.