In short, our mission is to create conditions for the establishment of companies that generate at least 2,000 - 4,000 jobs on our industrial park.
One of the biggest challenges in Västernorrland is the declining population trend with an ageing population and fewer taxpayers. We therefore need inward migration and more jobs. The green energy-intensive industry, including battery production, has proven to create increased regional attractiveness and strong growth. Greater establishment ultimately contributes to continued investment in strong welfare and good public services. If we are to be part of, or take the lead in, the green transition, we can benefit from a regional establishment of a world-leading company with developed cutting-edge technology.
Generally speaking, an industrial job creates about 2-4 indirect jobs. This means that 2,000 new jobs at Torsboda could mean around 8,000 new jobs in the region.
A scenario analysis, produced by WSP for the municipality of Sundsvall, gives an idea of the regional economic effects that may arise in the wake of the establishment of an electricity-intensive establishment. It is not a forecast but various calculated scenarios that aim to contribute to a better understanding of the effects in the slightly longer term:
NEW ESTABLISHMENT AREA IN TORSBODA Calculations of labor market effects in the Sundsvall region
"The establishment is expected to employ 2 000-5 000 people from the time it becomes fully operational (2027-2030). In addition, there will be indirect employment effects corresponding to almost 1 200-3 300 people, depending on the scenario and the influx of people. Thus, an electricity-intensive establishment is estimated to generate almost 3 300-8 800 new jobs in the region. However, some employment effects already occur during the construction period.
The employment multiplier between 2024-2030 is estimated to be 1.65-1.75 depending on the scenario. This means that for every job created as a direct effect of the investment, an additional 0.65-0.75 jobs are created as an indirect effect."
The initiative can be broken down into different parts. One part is investments we need to make for infrastructure and implementation. Torsboda Industrial Park is run according to an exploitation budget, a common procedure in municipal operations. The aim is for our investments at the industrial park to be repaid with the income we receive when we sell the land. In other words, in the long term, taxpayers will not have to pay for anything.
You can find out more in our investment budget and operational policy.
Another part is investments made in society to enable growth. It is important to remember why the investment in Torsboda Industrial Park is being made. We want to attract people to our region by creating jobs. We need the tax revenues to be able to develop welfare. Investments that the municipalities make in community building should be returned in the form of increased tax revenue.
A third part is the investments that establishing companies make together with Torsboda and the municipalities to attract more people to our region. Companies need employees and people need to be trained. This involves, for example, efforts to attract newcomers, to make it easier for immigrants to enter our society and targeted training courses.
Establishing the site will mean investments in our society. We need to improve water and sewage, we need more housing, preschools, cycle paths and smart traffic solutions. The cultural offer can grow and more companies will establish themselves. Some investments will be made by the municipalities, others by the state and authorities, and many will be made by private actors and companies. In practice, this may involve the construction of housing, schools and activity areas.
It is the board of Torsboda Industrial Park AB that decides who can buy land and establish themselves. The board consists of leading politicians from the municipalities of Sundsvall and Timrå.
The evaluation work includes assessing the number of jobs, the company's willingness to contribute to our region and society, and the company's ambitions and participation in the green transition. We also conduct analyses and a due diligence (a review of the company) on establishing companies and we relate to Swedish foreign trade policy.
Companies establishing themselves on the Swedish market must comply with Swedish law.
Basically, it is about the need for confidentiality of companies, which in turn is about trade secrets and competitive situations. For public companies, information about an upcoming establishment can also affect stock market prices. Therefore, if information is disclosed during the negotiations, there is a risk that dialogues and deals that have been initiated will be lost.
Thanks to its location and access to green electricity, Torsboda is attractive to several stakeholders. "We are in talks with companies from Europe, North America and Asia. As a rule, we do not comment on who the companies are, but as soon as something is ready, we will tell you about it.
On June 19, 2024, we signed a Letter of Intent with the Lithuanian company Kaunas Metal. They will establish themselves in northern Sweden and Torsboda is one of two locations that the company is interested in for its new plant where recycled steel will be turned into rebar. The establishment in Sweden will mean between 200 and 300 jobs. You can read more about it here.
We have bought some properties in the immediate vicinity of the industrial park because there is uncertainty about how they will be affected. We see it as reasonable that we own them and take responsibility for them until we have an answer to that question. We do not know today how they will be used in the future. Maybe during the construction period they will be used as project offices. We have not drawn any specific limit on which properties may or may not be relevant for acquisition, but we examine it on a case-by-case basis.
If you own land in the immediate vicinity of the industrial park and are interested in selling, please contact us at: support@torsboda.se for a dialog.
It has been a long process in which PTL has evaluated various locations in Europe and finally decided that Sweden and Torsboda is the best location for this investment. The company will be an important supplier to Northvolt, among others, and will also deliver to other battery manufacturers in Europe from the Swedish production facility. Factors that play a role in the choice of production site are proximity to customers, access to suitable industrial land, access to green electricity and access to a trained workforce. In a European context, Sweden stands out strongly when these factors are weighed together.
We have signed a contract with PTL because their offer suits us and our offer suits them. We are looking for companies in the green industry whose establishment means many jobs. We are very pleased with the agreement we were able to make with PTL. Our common ambition is to develop Europe's battery industry hub in Torsboda.
The investment contributes to building a sustainable and competitive battery industry in Sweden and the Nordic region. The investment will create jobs and growth as well as provide the necessary skills, technology and capital. Asian companies, such as those from South Korea, Japan and China, are world leaders in several parts of the battery value chain.
PTL is one of the world's leading manufacturers of anode materials (anode is the negative electrode and one of the three main components of the battery cell). The company works actively to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the manufacturing process, which is important for more sustainable battery production. In Sweden, in addition to manufacturing anode materials, they will also invest in research and development. PTL has also been clear that they want to become a clear part of our local community and support both sports and associations.
We are pleased that PTL has chosen to locate its factory in Sweden in tough competition with other countries. The investment is of central importance in Sweden's work with the green transition and contributes to building a sustainable and competitive battery industry. The investment will lead to growth in Sweden and provide the necessary skills, technology and capital.
Our region has large areas of land and access to 100% green and renewable energy. Torsboda Industrial Park therefore has excellent conditions to attract green industry. Our area, of over 150 hectares, has access to 450 MW of green energy at one of the lowest costs in Europe. With three cities and a university within 30 minutes of the site, we can provide companies with a workforce. With an airport, railway, European highway and three ports close to the area, we offer excellent communications and good logistics. In addition, Sundsvall Logistics Park is an important transportation hub. Our politically stable region, our favorable climate and our good communications make Torsboda an optimal choice for energy-intensive industry.
You can read about the content of the agreement here.
If you would like to read the full agreement after the confidentiality check, you can request it by emailing: contact@torsboda.com.
Most of the agreement is now public.
To request documents, please email: contact@torsboda.com
It is natural that not all parts of business deals become public. For example, information on technical solutions or a company's future plans. We also protect our own negotiating position in discussions with other customers.
We have always said that we will show the contract when we have reached a stage where a public announcement can be made without risking the deal.
We waited to publish the agreement because of PTL's process for ODI, Overseas Direct Investment, that is, their authorization process for making such a large investment in another country. In our view, it has been important that the agreement as a whole has been kept confidential during that process. As the deal means important jobs for the region, we would suffer significant damage if the deal with PTL did not go through.
In November 2023, the Court of Appeal said that we cannot keep the whole agreement confidential. PTL's authorization processes were also at an advanced stage, but were not complete. We made a confidentiality assessment of the contract and published large parts of it. At the end of February 2024, we published more of the agreement. PTL had reached the final stage of the process. On March 13, 2024, PTL announced at a press conference that they were done with ODI.
In the agreement signed between PTL and Torsboda, we have jointly regulated the process going forward. We are not worried that the agreement will be broken, but we have ensured the continued development of Torsboda and our region if that should happen.
Torsboda Industrial Park's mission is to attract more green industry companies to the site. We will continue this work.
Yes, we do. In the thorough checks of the company carried out at several levels, we have not seen anything that would stand in the way of establishment. The checks include, for example, the company's finances, its management and media reporting. Of course, basic investigations are also carried out to see if the company is on any international sanctions lists.
In December 2023, a new law on a foreign direct investment screening system also entered into force. The Inspectorate for Strategic Products (ISP) is responsible for the reviews. Read more on the ISP website.
PTL has several thousand employees worldwide and three anode production facilities in China. The factory in Torsboda will be the company's first in Europe.
Their wholly owned subsidiary Zichen is the world's second largest producer of anode materials. Customers include Samsung, Tesla, LG Chem, TDK, Panasonic and ATL. https://www.ptlsverige.se/
PTL is a listed limited liability company. They will establish a Swedish limited company based in our region.
Sweden is a small, open economy that is dependent on trade with other countries and therefore supports free trade. Foreign investments and establishments in Sweden bring capital, knowledge, skills and new markets to the Swedish business community. These factors are of great importance for Swedish employment and growth. Foreign companies have created around 700,000 jobs in Sweden and account for half of Sweden's exports. Investments are of the utmost importance for our competitiveness and employment.
Asian companies, for example from South Korea, Japan and China, are world leaders in several areas of the battery industry. With Sweden's ambition to build a sustainable and competitive battery industry, we need to attract expertise, technology and capital from these countries.
We are aware of and take into account that there may be risks associated with foreign direct investment. Swedish foreign trade policy is conducted at government level and not at local municipal level, we keep in touch with the relevant ministries and authorities.
In December 2023, a new law on a direct investment screening system also entered into force. Read more about it on the ISP website.
In June 2024, the Strategic Products Inspectorate (ISP) announced that it is launching a review of PTL's investment. Here is PTL's comment on the decision.
Of course, we follow the national foreign and foreign trade policies, and if they change, we will have to adapt accordingly. It is difficult to say what the consequences might be for this particular establishment, but we feel safe with the company that is now going to establish itself here. PTL is a public limited company listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange.
It is packaged in companies because we have ensured that we get the land back if the customer's establishment does not take place. A promise (option) to sell back a property, i.e. the land itself, is not legally binding, but a promise (option) to sell back shares is.
Just as, for example, when SCA expanded Östrand in 2015-2018, we can expect temporary guest workers during the actual construction period. We are working to create the conditions for a smooth construction process with as little disruption as possible to the surrounding communities. In addition to Swedish workers, we believe that people from our neighboring countries and Central Europe will come here and work on the factory construction. Specialists from Asia and the USA are also likely.
A foreign actor wishing to establish itself in Sweden is subject to the Swedish model with its laws and regulations. In addition to this, good working conditions and a good working environment will be competitive factors to ensure access to skilled labor.
PTL announced on March 13, 2024 that they have completed their ODI process in their home country. With that, they have permission to bring capital for their investment to Sweden. On March 18, 2024, they submitted their environmental permit application, which the Land and Environment Court will consider. They are likely to give their verdict in the first months of 2025. Since December 2023, the Swedish FDI law, which did not exist when the agreement was signed, has also been in place and PTL needs to comply with it. PTL announced on June 13, 2024 that they had been notified by ISP that the authority will initiate a formal review and on December 12, PTL said that they had received a response from ISP stating that they can make their investment provided they meet certain conditions. If and how these conditions affect PTL's timetable is still unclear.
PTL is working on a schedule to start preparatory groundwork and then construction in 2025, with the factory fully operational by the end of 2027.
Read more on the PTL website.
PTL is responsible for building its own factory and manages procurement and construction contracts.
Companies can contact PTL by emailing: business@zichen.se
More information can be found here on the PTL website
We refer both landlords and tenants to the digital platform Housing Portal, so they can meet there.
In places where other major developments have taken place, increased growth has contributed to a boost for local entrepreneurs. We believe this will be a positive journey for the region and its businesses and residents.
The factory will need different professional groups with varying skills such as engineers, logistics, cleaning, technicians and management. It is estimated that 1900 employees are needed in the factory.
PTL manages its own recruitment and has information about it on its own website.
We will help them with contact details when it is time for them to hire. We will post information about this on our website when it becomes available.
PTL expects 1 900 people to work in the factory. They have based their calculations for the number of employees on their existing factories. PTL will be able to make a more precise calculation once the full planning of the factory design is completed.
When Torsboda Industrial Park compares its establishment with other plants and industries of this kind, we see PTL's calculation as entirely reasonable. The factory will be very large and a lot of goods and materials will go in and products will come out.
The ambition is for at least 75% of PTL employees to live and pay taxes here in our region by 2027. During the start-up and construction period, we can expect a larger number of employees from outside.
All people living in Sweden have a responsibility to comply with Swedish law.
The municipalities are working together to create an International House to make the transition to Swedish society smoother for immigrants from other countries: https://sundsvall.se/nyheter/nyhetsarkiv/2023-10-17-sundsvall-allt-narmare-ett-international-house
Our mission is to work for an establishment that creates at least 2,000 new direct jobs at the industrial park. We want the majority of these to be local. In places where other major establishments have taken place, many more jobs have been created in nearby industries, or in service industries, as a side effect. In general, one industrial job creates about 2-4 indirect jobs. This means that 2 000 new jobs at Torsboda could create as many as 8 000 new jobs in the region.
We refer both landlords and tenants to the digital platform Housing Portal, so they can meet there.
PTL's activities, like any other industrial activity, are subject to a permit. Their environmental permit application, submitted on March 18, 2024, presents the estimated environmental impact. It is being examined by the Land and Environment Court and it is up to the court to grant the permit.
PTL is responsible for ensuring and checking that their activities do not cause unacceptable disturbance to local residents, such as noise, vibration or any impact on water sources or dust. Developers are responsible for planning and controlling the work they will carry out. This applies both during and after construction. Regulatory authorities are then responsible for following up on the adequacy of these controls.
A key argument for battery production is the EU directive. By 2035, no new cars with carbon dioxide emissions may be sold. Here you can read what Professor Hans-Erik Nilsson answers to some questions about this.
Entrances and exits from the E4 are being built so that traffic in both directions can easily reach the industrial area. The work is being done together with the Swedish Transport Administration. We are first building a temporary traffic junction that will be used before the permanent traffic junction is completed.
Housing prices are likely to increase due to increased demand. We can assume this on the basis of developments in Skellefteå, for example, since it became clear that Northvolt is establishing itself there. New housing is being built and planned in Sundsvall, Timrå and Härnösand.
We are in contact with the police, for example, and we also have the advantage of being able to see the effects of establishments in other places so that we can learn from them.
We also participate in the network "Avbrott Västernorrland", which was formed to counteract crime and maintain security in society. The municipalities of Sundsvall, Timrå and Härnösand, the police and the Västernorrland County Administrative Board are involved, for example to share ideas, knowledge and working methods with each other.
News text about Interruption Västernorrland.
Relocation is necessary for us to manage the supply of skills in both the private and public sectors in the future. We expect that establishments in Torsboda, in addition to direct job opportunities, will give ripples that mean growth for the Sundsvall region. In order to attract new residents, we need jobs and the conditions to live a good life here. A lot is connected, leisure opportunities, housing, cultural life and public services. Here, the whole community has a joint responsibility and work to do to make the investment successful.
In-migration will certainly present challenges, but in order to be able to maintain and develop healthcare, schools and other tax-funded activities, we need more residents of working age who pay taxes. Västernorrland has long had a population curve pointing downwards, and the proportion of older people in relation to younger people is also increasing. In-migration creates opportunities to develop healthcare, schools and other tax-funded activities.
The municipalities in the region are working on many social issues related to the Torsboda initiative. You can read more on their websites.
https://www.timra.se/kommunpolitik/etableringenitorsboda.4.39b2c113187108e64dd44d.html
https://harnosand.se/mittharnosand/harnosand-utvecklas/torsboda-industrial-park.html
Regional actors also work together with the municipalities in the Sundsvall region:
Joint work towards a stronger Västernorrland_200D↩
Municipalities create an International House: https://sundsvall.se/nyheter/nyhetsarkiv/2023-10-17-sundsvall-allt-narmare-ett-international-house
When a new customer, whether a private individual or a large industry, connects to the grid, they pay for the parts that need to be reinforced or expanded. Existing customers are not adversely affected by such connections.
