Backward glance at important events in 2009:

Market situation:

Following a financial crisis and a period with increased unempolyment rate, this is a situation that in normal cases increase the need for reasonable and environmentally friendly heating. Instead, all the reports SCEA are receiving shows the opposite. Although Sweden alone consumes 20 per cent of the worlds pellet production, the market for technology in Sweden is ”dead”, according to Ronny Narvell in Pellsam, a Swedish association for wood pellet manufacturers. Some indicators tell us that the market for new pellet burners has dropped to 10 per cent of what it was at top in 2006.

 

There has been a price decline for electricity and oil and this seems to be a major reason for the drop in sales of our bio-energy technology.

Similarly, the Department of Energy in US, reports significant price declines for natural gas.

Some markets in Europe seem to be up running with a reasonable demand for heating technology due to heavy subsidies.

SCEA is in the opinion that increased prices for fossil energy is necessary to develop and obtain a sustainable market for our bio-energy technologies and services.

SCEA is also in the opinion that our association is more important than ever, this due to the turn down in the market. We need to turn around and commonly approach markets that are up running with a demand for our bio-energy technologies.

 

 

January

SCEA held it’s annual general meeting in Lidköping, Sweden.

There are 12 member companies in SCEA.

 

February

SCEA arranged a one day course in UL certification of heating systems (UL 391 UL).

The Underwriters Laboratory (UL) held a course in regulatory issues that may encounter Scandinavian companies when exporting technology to the US market.

 

SCEA and ÄFAB, with good support from US Embassy in Stockholm, organized one of the tracks at Västra Götalandsregionens Energy Session in Skövde. Our mission was to present our association and how SCEA co-operate for entering the American market.

 

March

The Green Energy Tour was held in West Sweden where SCEA in collaboration with ECOEX, was hosting a Minnesotan delegation of 12 cheerful and curious persons. The tour included study visits at Waste-to-energy plants, pellet production plants, biogas facilities, pellet combustion plants and also biodiesel production.

 

 

April

SCEA was represented at E-days in Savannah. The event was hosted by the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce (SACC), an organisation fuelling the business development across the Atlantic. The conference and trade show was geared towards growth capital for sustainable ventures.

 

One of our member companies, Pellvac AB, signs a co-operation agreement with a manufacturer in Minnesota and receives a first order to fill a whole container.

 

May

Vänertekno AB participates at the exhibition Maskin expo in western Sweden.

 

Some of our members exhibit at ”Energimässa Gotland”.

 

June

Centerpartiet, a political party in Sweden, awards SCEA member Gotfire AB, an enviromental prize for it’s efficient wood chip burner systems.

 

July

We are on holiday but our minds are still active towards our passion in bio-energy.

 

August

Three member companies in SCEA, Vänertekno, Gotfire and Mafa, had common display at the Nolia exhibition, Umeå, Sweden.

 

The Norwegian member company Matene a.s, is one of the winners in an innovation contest for new climate friendly heating solutions for schools in Oslo, Norway, based upon it’s feeding technology with large built-in silos for existing buildings.

 

27-28th SCEA chairman Per Carlsson was in a panel discussion in Minneapolis together with Swedish Embassy minister of trade Claes Hammar, Minneapolis mayor Rybak and Anders Rydaker Evergreen Energy to discuss clean energy technology and the green economy.

http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/mayor/news/20090827newsmayor_swedishminister.asp

 

September

Member company ABioNova:

A milestone is reached as the first wood US exported pellet boiler is commissioned and in operation at Prairie Woods Envoirmental Learning Center, Willmar, Minnesota.

 

Finally - upcoming event : IBED 2009. Do not miss it. See you there!