A short distance from the centre of Skelleftea, a small city in north-eastern Sweden, buses arrive early to transport construction workers who are building a mammoth electric battery plant.
The facility, which has been described as Northern Europe's largest lithium-ion battery plant, is racing to electrify the continent's automotive sector as governments restrict the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles to meet decarbonisation targets.
Set in a land of pine forests and lakes, the plant aims to have an annual production capacity of 60 gigawatt hours, enough to power hundreds of thousands of vehicles.
“We had the first steel pillar up in autumn 2019. In a couple of years, we've gone from nothing and now we have a functioning production facility,” Sanna Backstrom, a communications manager for the plant's owner, Northvolt, told The National.
Northvolt is part of the Swedish green investment company, Vargas. It provides batteries for household name car producers such as Volvo and Volkswagen.
Carl-Erik Lagercrantz, chief executive of Vargas, said the company started with a blank sheet of paper and set about deciding what “macrotrends” to tap into.
“We came to the conclusion that there’s a great opportunity here,” he said. “It’s about being an enabler for electrification of transportation. Northvolt is a key part of the European transition.”
We can guarantee 100 per cent renewable energy in Skelleftea
Dr Helena Renstrom,
marketing manager for Skelleftea Municipality
Vargas also has companies working in green steel, energy storage and heat pumps, and has the ambition to mitigate one per cent of global carbon emissions.
Battery production is energy and resource intensive, but Northvolt states that its aim at Skelleftea is to produce “the world’s greenest battery”.
The facility’s power is said to come from green sources, a consequence of Sweden’s heavy investments in hydropower and nuclear power.
“We can guarantee 100 per cent renewable energy in Skelleftea and we can guarantee enough energy,” said Dr Helena Renstrom, marketing manager for Skelleftea Municipality.
As a result of this, Northvolt states that it has been able to cut emissions by 70 per cent compared to a Chinese-produced electric car battery.
The Skelleftea plant also has a significant impact on the local area.
Skelleftea Municipality has a population of around 75,000 but the aim is to grow this to 100,000 in the coming decades, as well as building 9,000 new homes.
This expansion is necessary because the population is ageing and requires an influx of younger people to support those who have retired, officials said.
Another fact is to ensure that there is the necessary workforce for companies investing in the area.
“The problem is that we have very low unemployment – 3.4 per cent. We have doubled the number of jobs compared to the number of unemployed,” Dr Renstrom said.
“This is the core of our challenge. We need more people and we need to provide possibilities for Northvolt to grow. We need to double the people who move here every 10 years. That’s a big challenge.”
While many people who grow up in the area are said to be keen to leave once they get the chance, the city and surroundings have obvious appeal.
The Skelleftea factory has succeeded in attracting people from across the global, with more than 80 nationalities working on site.
The company has around 1,800 employees, but when the plant is completed in around two years’ time, that figure is set to rise to around 4,000. Some will work in a battery-recycling plant that will be part of the complex.
One building is “basically like a large chemical plant”, said Ms Backstrom, where raw materials are processed to create substances that are used in the second plant, which makes the batteries themselves.
This “downstream” factory – 300 metres long and 100 metres wide – is vast.
One side of the building is dedicated to producing the cathodes – the negative electrodes – which are fashioned in part from rolls of aluminium foil lined up in one of the rooms. There are also huge plastic containers of BASF cathode solvent.
On the other side, there are rolls of copper foil which are used to create the anodes, the positive electrodes. The raw materials are mixed to create a “slurry”.
“After we’ve mixed the slurry, the next step is coating,” Ms Backstrom said. “What you see behind are large ovens. We kind of paint the slurry on both sides of the foil.”
Later, the battery cells are assembled when the anode and cathode are brought together and welded. They are then put into a can that is filled with electrolyte and sealed.
Then batteries undergo what is described as an ageing process.
The factory is not exclusively set up to produce vehicle batteries, but it accounts for the lion’s share of production.
Electric vehicles are set to replace cars and vans powered by internal combustion engines.
In February this year, the European Parliament voted to approve a new law banning the sale of petrol and diesel cars from 2035.
The new rule – part of a larger effort to combat climate change in the EU – will speed up the bloc’s transition to electric vehicles.
Cars currently account for around 15 per cent of all carbon dioxide emissions in the EU. The legislation demands that carmakers cut carbon emissions from new vehicles by 100 per cent. In practice, this means no new conventional fossil fuel-powered vehicles will be able to be sold from 2035 onwards.
However, Germany, Europe’s biggest car producer, is said to be blocking the final approval of this legislation.
In the UK, the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles will be banned from 2030, while from 2035 onwards plug-in hybrid petrol-electric and diesel-electric vehicles will be banned, leaving only “emissions-free” fully electric cars and vans in the showrooms.
Northvolt’s facility is just one of many European car battery plants in operation, under construction or planned.
Northvolt has several other locations, while Volkswagen plans half a dozen facilities in Germany, and Stellantis (which controls Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Peugeot and Citroen, among others) has a tie-up with Mercedes-Benz and Total to build factories in Germany.
There are already multiple plants planned, or operating, in France, Italy, Spain, Poland and Hungary – some of which have received investment by Chinese or Taiwanese companies.
India’s Tata, which owns Jaguar Land Rover, is set to create the UK’s first big battery plant.
Asia remains the leader on electric car batteries and there are Asian suppliers on site at the Skelleftea plant – but Europe is keen to catch up.
As the plant grows, around 100 staff are being taken on each month.
“Logistics, maintenance, operators, engineers – we have many different roles,” Ms Backstrom said.
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
ENGLAND SQUAD
Joe Root (captain), Dom Sibley, Rory Burns, Dan Lawrence, Ben Stokes, Ollie Pope, Ben Foakes (wicketkeeper), Moeen Ali, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes, Jack Leach, Stuart Broad
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
MATCH INFO
Championship play-offs, second legs:
Aston Villa 0
Middlesbrough 0
(Aston Villa advance 1-0 on aggregate)
Fulham 2
Sessegnon (47'), Odoi (66')
Derby County 0
(Fulham advance 2-1 on aggregate)
Final
Saturday, May 26, Wembley. Kick off 8pm (UAE)
Tomb%20Raider%20I%E2%80%93III%20Remastered
%3Cp%3EDeveloper%3A%20Aspyr%0D%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Aspyr%0D%3Cbr%3EConsole%3A%20Nintendo%20Switch%2C%20PlayStation%204%26amp%3B5%2C%20PC%20and%20Xbox%20series%20X%2FS%0D%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20Profile
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What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
What drives subscription retailing?
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.
Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.
Company%20profile
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The five pillars of Islam
Fanney Khan
Producer: T-Series, Anil Kapoor Productions, ROMP, Prerna Arora
Director: Atul Manjrekar
Cast: Anil Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai, Rajkummar Rao, Pihu Sand
Rating: 2/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20NOTHING%20PHONE%20(2a)
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Harry%20%26%20Meghan
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELiz%20Garbus%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Duke%20and%20Duchess%20of%20Sussex%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The bio
His favourite book - 1984 by George Orwell
His favourite quote - 'If you think education is expensive, try ignorance' by Derek Bok, Former President of Harvard
Favourite place to travel to - Peloponnese, Southern Greece
Favourite movie - The Last Emperor
Favourite personality from history - Alexander the Great
Role Model - My father, Yiannis Davos
New Zealand 21 British & Irish Lions 24
New Zealand
Penalties: Barrett (7)
British & Irish Lions
Tries: Faletau, Murray
Penalties: Farrell (4)
Conversions: Farrell
FORSPOKEN
%3Cp%3EDeveloper%3A%20Luminous%20Productions%0D%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Square%20Enix%0D%3Cbr%3EConsole%3A%20PC%2C%20PS5%0D%3Cbr%3ERelease%20date%3A%20January%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company%20of%20Heroes%203
%3Cp%3EDeveloper%3A%20Relic%20Entertainment%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20SEGA%3Cbr%3EConsole%3A%20PC%2C%20PS5%2C%20XSX%3Cbr%3ERelease%20date%3A%20February%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Star%20Wars%20Jedi%3A%20Survivor
%3Cp%3EDeveloper%3A%20Respawn%20Entertainment%0D%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Electronic%20Arts%0D%3Cbr%3EConsole%3A%20PC%2C%20PS5%2C%20XSX%0D%3Cbr%3ERelease%20date%3A%20March%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Suicide%20Squad%3A%20Kill%20the%20Justice%20League
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Final%20Fantasy%20XVI
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Street%20Fighter%206
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Diablo%20IV
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Baldur's%20Gate%203
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The%20Legend%20of%20Zelda%3A%20Tears%20of%20The%20Kingdom
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Marvel's%20Spider-Man%202
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Assassin's%20Creed%20Mirage
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Starfield
%3Cp%3EDeveloper%3A%20Bethesda%20Game%20Studios%0D%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Bethesda%20Softworks%0D%3Cbr%3EConsole%3A%20PC%2C%20Xbox%0D%3Cbr%3ERelease%20date%3A%202023%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 715bhp
Torque: 900Nm
Price: Dh1,289,376
On sale: now
Key changes
Commission caps
For life insurance products with a savings component, Peter Hodgins of Clyde & Co said different caps apply to the saving and protection elements:
• For the saving component, a cap of 4.5 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 90 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• On the protection component, there is a cap of 10 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 160 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• Indemnity commission, the amount of commission that can be advanced to a product salesperson, can be 50 per cent of the annualised premium for the first year or 50 per cent of the total commissions on the policy calculated.
• The remaining commission after deduction of the indemnity commission is paid equally over the premium payment term.
• For pure protection products, which only offer a life insurance component, the maximum commission will be 10 per cent of the annualised premium multiplied by the length of the policy in years.
Disclosure
Customers must now be provided with a full illustration of the product they are buying to ensure they understand the potential returns on savings products as well as the effects of any charges. There is also a “free-look” period of 30 days, where insurers must provide a full refund if the buyer wishes to cancel the policy.
“The illustration should provide for at least two scenarios to illustrate the performance of the product,” said Mr Hodgins. “All illustrations are required to be signed by the customer.”
Another illustration must outline surrender charges to ensure they understand the costs of exiting a fixed-term product early.
Illustrations must also be kept updatedand insurers must provide information on the top five investment funds available annually, including at least five years' performance data.
“This may be segregated based on the risk appetite of the customer (in which case, the top five funds for each segment must be provided),” said Mr Hodgins.
Product providers must also disclose the ratio of protection benefit to savings benefits. If a protection benefit ratio is less than 10 per cent "the product must carry a warning stating that it has limited or no protection benefit" Mr Hodgins added.
Five films to watch
Castle in the Sky (1986)
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Only Yesterday (1991)
Pom Poki (1994)
The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013)
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
Company profile
Company: Rent Your Wardrobe
Date started: May 2021
Founder: Mamta Arora
Based: Dubai
Sector: Clothes rental subscription
Stage: Bootstrapped, self-funded
UAE squad
Men's draw: Victor Scvortov and Khalifa Al Hosani, (both 73 kilograms), Sergiu Toma and Mihail Marchitan (90kg), Ivan Remarenco (100kg), Ahmed Al Naqbi (60kg), Musabah Al Shamsi and Ahmed Al Hosani (66kg)
Women’s draw: Maitha Al Neyadi (57kg)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
The Rub of Time: Bellow, Nabokov, Hitchens, Travolta, Trump and Other Pieces 1986-2016
Martin Amis,
Jonathan Cape
Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Day 3 stumps
New Zealand 153 & 249
Pakistan 227 & 37-0 (target 176)
Pakistan require another 139 runs with 10 wickets remaining
Rocketman
Director: Dexter Fletcher
Starring: Taron Egerton, Richard Madden, Jamie Bell
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
The five new places of worship
Church of South Indian Parish
St Andrew's Church Mussaffah branch
St Andrew's Church Al Ain branch
St John's Baptist Church, Ruwais
Church of the Virgin Mary and St Paul the Apostle, Ruwais
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
How to tell if your child is being bullied at school
Sudden change in behaviour or displays higher levels of stress or anxiety
Shows signs of depression or isolation
Ability to sleep well diminishes
Academic performance begins to deteriorate
Changes in eating habits
Struggles to concentrate
Refuses to go to school
Behaviour changes and is aggressive towards siblings
Begins to use language they do not normally use
TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20WATCH%20SERIES%209
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