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Envac in 1995. This was a very promising start. However, an order that proved to be much more important to the company’s future came when the Olympic city of Barcelona chose to install Centralsug’s vacuum system. The “new Barcelona” would look out onto the sea. It would be built on the site of the derelict industrial and docklands neighborhood along the coastline. The Olympic village was just the first phase, but Envac’s installation in the Olympic village in Barcelona was so successful that the City of Barcelona decided that more vacuum waste management systems should be built. Ten years later, Barcelona City included vacuum systems as a “common utility” in its master plan for the city’s expansion. These installations in Barcelona were quickly also adopted throughout the rest of Spain. The Spanish market is now one of Envac’s largest and the company has offices in several Spanish cities. Today, Envac has over 600 installations in more than 30 countries. Jonas Törnblom, Director of Marketing and Communication at Envac, explains that Spain was an important market for the company to establish itself in, but that China is 44 | GREEN SOLUTIONS FROM SWEDEN becoming an increasingly important market for the simple reason that a lot of construction is taking place there. Törnblom reveals that, despite successful installations in many countries, it took several years before exports really took off. He explains what it was that finally made growth a reality: “Growth really took off when cities around the world were forced to introduce waste sorting and when they, at the same time, began to realize that they no longer had room to store waste on sidewalks and in open spaces. Being clean and accessible became progressively more important in cities’ marketability,” says Törnblom. One important reason why exports have increased is the fact that Envac has no production facility of its own. “We buy in all the parts and assemble and install our systems on-site. Not being dependent on a factory has facilitated our geographic expansion, at the same time as it has also made the company less vulnerable to economic fluctuations,” he explains. When it comes to Sweden, Törnblom believes that there is no shortage of good products and ideas that can increase cleantech exports– but that this alone is not enough. “I think you need to realize that just because a cleantech solution is viable in Sweden, doesn’t mean it’s viable in other countries. Markets often differ due to strong political influences. The most important factor in every product sale is that the product provides clear customer benefit,” Törnblom says. “Given that cleantech sales are so dependent on political decisions in the form of regulations, subsidies, and so on, customer value can often be more difficult to estimate and predict than for other types of sales. For example, how much is clean air and less noise pollution actually worth in dollars?” The future looks bright for one of Sweden’s most successful export companies in cleantech and its plans for tomorrow are clearly laid out. “We’re looking closely at the prospects our products have in North America. Developments in the US economy and housing construction look promising, which are important preconditions for sales of Envac’s products,” Törnblom concludes. Facts: Envac: Envac AB is a Swedish company with more than 50 years’ experience in automated waste management, and is one of Sweden’s foremost cleantech companies. Envac invented the vacuum waste management system that applies vacuum technology to waste management in the early 1960s. Today, Envac’s system is installed around the world–in neighborhoods, malls, city centers, industrial kitchens, hospitals, and airports. System construction is coordinated with the installation of other infrastructure, such as electricity, sewage, and water systems. Envac is a wholly owned subsidiary of Stena Adactum AB, a company within the Stena Sphere.
exportS 5 SucceSSful export companieS regulates Humidity Munters is an engineering and environmental technology company that produces products built on the fundamental relationship between water, air, and energy. The secret behind its export success is that Munters’ products can cool without creating moisture-related problems, and heat without creating too dry a climate. The foundation for these products is the knowledge that humidity increases when a building is cooled (as with conventional air conditioning, for example) which, in most situations, creates problems with moisture. For this reason, air conditioning and dehumidification is desirable in warm climates. On the other hand, heating and humidification are needed in cold climates. cleaner air The Blueair company produces products that clean air of pollution down to the smallest particle. Its air purifiers are currently sold in over 50 countries, and the secret behind its export success is the speed and efficiency with which its products scrub indoor air. Blueair’s units remove allergens, asthma triggers, viruses, bacteria, and other airborne contaminants. At present the company is expanding rapidly in China, not least of all because of the smog problem in several major Chinese cities. Today, Blueair has distributors in over 40 Chinese cities, and the company saw its Chinese sales double in 2012. large-scale Heat pump Systems Termoekonomi is a knowledge-based company with a focus on modern, green energy. According to Termoekonomi itself, the company is a world leader in district cooling and large-scale heat pump systems. District heating and smart energy solutions for process industries, power plants, and offices are also among its specialties. The company’s projects include cooling and heating solutions for the Olympic village in Beijing, China, and improving energy efficiency at a biogas plant in South Korea. energy from Water Malmberg is a Swedish cleantech company working in the fields of biogas, geoenergy, water treatment, drilling, and environmental management. The company carries out assignments in both the Swedish and inte rnational markets. Malmberg is also at the forefront of efforts to extract energy from water. In the four years between 2006 and 2009, Malmberg has managed to build its first water purification plant in Russia; its first biogas plant in Germany for injecting gas into the natural gas grid; its first biogas plant in Austria; supply biogas technology to China; and create the world’s largest energy storage facility at Arlanda airport, outside Stockholm. In addition, Ukrainian authorities have signed a cooperation agreement for water treatment solutions with the Swedish Water Experience AB company, of which Malmberg is a part. The aim of the project is to modify wastewater and drinking water treatment systems in selected Ukrainian cities to meet European environmental standards. treatment plants across the Globe Purac constructs treatment plants for water purification and the treatment of biological waste all around the world–for wastewater, drinking water, and process water. Purac also constructs plants for biogas production and gas cleaning. To date, Purac has completed well over 4,000 contracts in 70 countries worldwide, particularly in Europe and Asia. Its contracting operations combine process, construction, and contracting expertise using its own and licensed technologies. Some examples of Purac’s expertise include methods that make it possible to reduce spatial requirements and operating costs by up to 50 percent. GREEN SOLUTIONS FROM SWEDEN | 45
Page 1 and 2: SPECIAL EDITION FROM THE MAGAZINE M
Page 3 and 4: Jörgen Berglund nytt kommunalråd
Page 5 and 6: 38 iKea inveStS in cleantecH IKEA
Page 7 and 8: eea: sweden among top ten In recycl
Page 9 and 10: EuropE’s GrEEnEst BuildinG The he
Page 11 and 12: New TechNique Measures ciTies’ Gr
Page 13 and 14: WORLD BIOENERGY 2014 www.worldbioen
Page 15 and 16: five ive Sweden is home to more tha
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Page 21 and 22: Training in sustainable planning At
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Page 29 and 30: Editorial column: larS linG iS cEo
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