Together with Nykvarn Municipality and the jointly owned company Kvarnkrysset AB, Kilenkrysset is taking part as property developer of the SEEL (Swedish Electric Transport Laboratory AB) research centre in Nykvarn, one of Sweden's test beds for electromobility.
The research centre will be built on the property Mörby 5:54, and the building will be approx. 3,700 sq m over two floors with offices, test cells, control rooms, preparation areas, a workshop and supporting technical areas. Within Stockholm Syd Mörby, also called the Mörby industrial area, Nykvarn Municipality has set aside approx. 250 ha of the area's 600 ha for the establishment of the automotive industry. The purpose of this area initiative is to strengthen the automotive industry throughout the region and to make the area a test arena where research and development meet in positive interaction. The establishment of the SEEL research centre is a first and important stage in the vision of developing an environmental engine centre in Nykvarn. The building is expected to be completed and in operation in spring 2023. The signed design agreement will result in a 15-year lease agreement.
– This is big. It is an important investment in the automotive industry throughout East Central Sweden so that it can continue to grow and develop, says Bob Wållberg (NP), Chairman of the Municipal Executive Board in Nykvarn.
Behind the development of the SEEL research centre is the state-owned research institute RISE (Research Institutes of Sweden), which in 2017, together with Chalmers University of Technology, was commissioned by the government to create a test centre for research on the vehicle transport of the future, with particular emphasis on innovative cooperation and sustainable development. Chalmers and RISE have chosen to take active joint ownership responsibility for the test bed in order to support the Swedish and European automotive industry as effectively as possible in the rapid transition to electromobility. All in cooperation with the industrial partners Cevt, Scania, Volvo Cars and the Volvo Group.
Together, the state and the automotive industry are making an investment of SEK 1.3 billion, of which SEK 200 million will be spent on the facility in Nykvarn. The facility will be operated and financed jointly by academia, institutes and industry, and will thus be a place for cross-border cooperation with projects in all relevant areas. The property owner of the facility in Nykvarn will be Kvarnkrysset AB.
– We are very proud to be part of this type of environmental and technology initiative. This particular land area is very well suited to this kind of operation, as it offers geographical proximity to both industry colleagues and education providers in the automotive industry. Being able to contribute to strong and positive development, both for the environment and for future generations, of course feels especially meaningful, says Jan Persson, CEO and owner of Kilenkrysset AB.
The facility in Nykvarn will be SEEL's establishment in the Stockholm and Mälardalen region, and the work will focus primarily on research and testing in battery technology, and dynamic testing of components for heavier vehicles and craft.
In total, three facilities will be established. The main facility, with a planned area of 13,000 sq m, will be built in Gothenburg. There it will be possible to meet the needs of developers of heavy and light vehicles, trucks and buses, construction machinery, aircraft and ships. It will be possible to carry out tests on all types of battery systems, including components from subcontractors, and all kinds of testing in electromobility. The third facility, with an area of 3,700 sq m, will be established in Borås, where the focus will be on safety tests, including those related to charging, short circuits, vibrations, mechanical shock, extreme temperatures and fire risks.
All the test beds will function as an open platform where researchers, other large industrial companies, small and medium-sized enterprises, professionals and students are also welcome to develop their knowledge. A key resource – open to cooperation with players throughout Europe – to make Sweden a world leader in electromobility.
All the facilities have a carefully chosen geographical location close to both universities and important players in the automotive industry. Establishing the research sites in Sweden contributes to building up important expertise and keeps investments within the country. Electric power will play an important role in the transition to a fossil-free transport system, and with several major players in the vehicle market and good access to green energy, Sweden will be well placed to take a leading global role in the development of sustainable transport solutions.
See also the press release published by RISE on 8 March 2021 https://www.ri.se/sv/press/sveriges-testbadd-for-elektromobilitet-etableras-i-goteborg-nykvarn-och-boras
For more information, please contact
Jan Persson, CEO and owner of Kilenkrysset AB
Email: jan.persson@kilenkrysset.se
Phone: 070- 766 54 04
Bob Wållberg (NP), Chairman of the Municipal Executive Board
Email: bob.wallberg@nykvarn.se
Phone: 08-555 010 06
David Schubert, Head of Business Development
Email: david.schubert@nykvarn.se
Phone: 08-555 010 27
Kvarnkrysset AB was formed in 2020 and is jointly owned by the property company Kilenkrysset AB (80%) and the Nykvarn Municipal Group (20%). The company is a property-owning company whose purpose is to build and let an adapted building to the SEEL research centre located in Nykvarn Municipality. The building includes a very advanced and extensive research laboratory and will be operated by the state-owned research institute RISE and Chalmers in a joint company.
Swedish Electric Transport Laboratory, SEEL, is a test bed for research and development in electromobility, owned and operated by Chalmers and RISE in a joint company. The purpose is to strengthen efficient knowledge development and the conditions for cooperation in electrified transport, in Sweden and Europe. Players in the automotive industry, the aviation industry and the maritime sector, as well as other companies developing technology in relevant areas, gain a common platform on which to meet, and can together benefit from the knowledge development and technology shift now taking place. At the same time, researchers at colleges, universities and research institutes gain access to an advanced research infrastructure in electromobility. The test bed will be in operation in 2023.
The test bed is part of a European initiative for a battery value chain
The state support of SEK 575 million from the Swedish Energy Agency to the SEEL electromobility laboratory is provided within the framework of an IPCEI, i.e. an Important Project of Common European Interest, to build up a European value chain for batteries. The ten-year project includes 17 participants from seven Member States. It covers major European investments in raw materials and advanced materials for batteries, battery cells and modules, complete battery systems, and the use, recycling and refining of recycled materials. The initiative is carried out within the framework of the European Battery Alliance.
