Questions and answers

1,000 people have now been given notice in Skellefteå. We will now do our best to ensure that this workforce is utilized in the region. At the same time, it is important to emphasize that around 2,800 people will remain at the factory in Skellefteå. The company will still be one of our largest employers. Both private and public employers in the region have a great need for labor and we want as many as possible to stay in the region. In a first stage, we will have meetings with the business community, Region Västerbotten, the County Administrative Board, the Swedish Public Employment Service and the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth on how those who lose their jobs can quickly find new employment. At the same time, we are raising the level of preparedness for our own adult education and for universities and other education providers in the region to be able to meet the training needs that may arise. What we are doing right now is to form a steering group consisting of Skellefteå's municipal director, county councillor, regional development director and representatives from the Swedish Public Employment Service and the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth.

How does Northvolt's announcement affect the municipality?
Of course, this is bad news for Skellefteå, and especially for those who risk losing their jobs. Northvolt has played a major role in the municipality's development in recent years, but it is important to remember that Skellefteå's industrial boost and the green transition are much bigger than one company. There are many examples of this, including Boliden's investment of SEK 10 billion over the next three years. Then it is important to say that Northvolt will be 2,800 employees in the factory in Skellefteå after the cuts and will still be one of Skellefteå's largest employers. We have important assets that will be in demand to meet a sustainable future. Renewable energy, great industrial know-how and strong universities mean that we are at the forefront of innovation and technological development. Not least, Skellefteå municipality is a good place to live, as shown by the large influx of new residents who choose to live here.

Skellefteå municipality invests in community development, not in individual companies. The municipality has invested SEK 100 million in completing the industrial area where Northvolt's factory is located. The area was already designated as an industrial area before Northvolt's announcement and the investments would have been made sooner or later anyway. The municipal energy company Skellefteå Kraft was one of the players that entered as a partner in Northvolt early on and invested SEK 100 million.

No, that is wrong and a misconception. The figure of SEK 42 billion comes from the municipal group's future investment plan and refers to the entire period 2024-2034. The group includes, for example, the municipally owned energy company Skellefteå Kraft and the housing company Skebo. Of the SEK 42 billion, approximately SEK 31 billion is investments planned by the municipal companies, the majority of which relate to investments for Skellefteå Kraft. These investments are always assessed on a commercial basis before they are started. The municipality's own investments for the next 10-year period amount to approximately SEK 11 billion, of which almost half relate to activities financed by fees, such as water and sewerage fees and waste management fees or the development of, for example, industrial sites. The rest is investment in schools, cultural and leisure facilities, streets, roads and parks. Most of these investments can be stopped if it turns out that the needs change compared to the forecast. Over the past three years, the municipality has financed 100% of its investments with its own money. Over the next ten years, the municipality plans to maintain a high self-financing rate of around 70%.

The new port is an investment made to meet the new transportation needs of the entire region and it has been in the planning for at least ten years, long before Northvolt's establishment was discussed. Today's port cannot handle the future number of transports that will take place to the whole of northern Sweden in the future. The new port will create competitive advantages for the entire local and regional business community and contribute to sustainable industrial development. After the investment, this port will still be significantly smaller than, for example, the port of Piteå.

Skellefteå municipality has a well-managed and solid economy. The municipality is actually one of the financially strongest among the country's municipalities if you look at the equity ratio, i.e. how much of the assets are financed by own money. The municipality has no debt in tax-funded activities, such as schools and care. The municipal companies Skebo and Skellefteå Kraft have loans for investments. A commercial assessment is always made for these investments. The municipality has some debts in the fee-financed part of the municipality's operations, such as water, sewage and waste.

Northvolt has played a major role in Skellefteå's societal transformation from a declining population and waning confidence to booming growth and a burgeoning green industry. But that transformation began even before Northvolt's decision to establish in 2017. Already in 2015, we set challenging goals and adopted an ambitious development strategy. So Skellefteå's development and green transition is much bigger than Northvolt. And even if everyone who is now being made redundant is ultimately laid off, the company will still be one of the largest employers in the area.

We decided ten years ago to invest in the growth of the municipality and the establishment of more businesses here. This is work that everyone in the municipality should be proud of and that we have done together. It has also produced very good results and has meant that many companies, not just Northvolt, choose to invest in Skellefteå. This work has been incredibly important and we will continue to do so, in fact regardless of how Northvolt as a company develops.