A Swedish solution for biofuels
Clean-tech opportunities from Sweden? You betcha. And the state hopes to spur local adoption and commercialization of biofuels -- energy made from animal waste, crops and straw -- by emulating the Swedes.
MANKATO - Amid the throngs of iPod-toting, hoodie-wearing college students scurrying across the campus last week at Minnesota State University, Mankato, something was burning.
Several things actually: grain, chips and wood pellets. Inside a large white tent outside the student center, men with names like Per and Christofer were demonstrating the pride and joy of Swedish ingenuity: energy-efficient biofuel furnaces that emit far less pollution than their traditional counterparts. Nearby, Swedes and Americans furiously scribbled notes, exchanged business cards, shook hands and passed out literature.
The scenes belonged to an ambitious commercial and diplomatic effort to lure Swedish clean-energy firms -- and their technology -- to Minnesota. Led by the BioBusiness Alliance of Minnesota, the state hopes to spur local adoption and commercialization of biofuels -- energy made from animal waste, crops and straw -- by emulating the Swedes, who consume renewable energy sources the same way Americans guzzle gasoline.
"Sweden is 20 years ahead of us in green renewables," said Dale Wahlstrom, chief executive of the BioBusiness Alliance. By importing Swedish technology like biofuel-powered stoves and automated heating systems, "we will create awareness among the population that this stuff can be applied to daily life. Our future [energy] technology is just as good as their future technology. But there is a big gap in immediate applicable technology [in the United States]. Swedish technology can fill the gap."
Cooperation between U.S. and Swedish firms has long been championed by Michal Wood, U.S. ambassador to Sweden. Through his "The One Big Thing" initiative, Wood has actively played matchmaker between Sweden's clean-technology industry and American investors, companies and researchers.