Together with the municipalities of Sundsvall and Timrå, Torsboda Industrial Park has presented two land areas as possible for Kaunas Metal's establishment of their first steelworks outside Lithuania. The areas now competing with Umeå are located next to the Delta terminal in Söråker and by the E14 in Töva.

Kaunas Metal has not yet decided whether it will do business with Umeå or Sundsvall/Timrå. This summer, the company signed letters of intent with both Umeå and Torsboda Industrial Park regarding its establishment where recycled steel will be turned into rebar. The letters of intent show that the parties agree to negotiate but are no guarantee of an agreement.

The original location in Torsboda Industrial Park's sales dialog was the north side of the E4 on the industrial park in Torsboda, but the offer has now been changed to two other areas.

- "In discussions with our potential customer, it has emerged that the possibility of transporting goods by rail directly to their factory area is a very important factor," says Cain Dotson, business developer at Torsboda Industrial Park. "We therefore worked with the municipalities of Sundsvall and Timrå to develop alternative locations for our offer.

Söråker and Töva

The main offer is an area in Söråker next to the Delta terminal. The land was previously partly used as industrial land and is today owned by Timrå municipality and a private company.

As a second option, the municipality of Sundsvall has offered to extend a previously started planning process in an area between the E14 and the railway in Töva. The land is partly owned by the municipality and a private operator is interested in developing the area.

- What is good for Timrå is good for Sundsvall and vice versa. Our hope is that Kaunas Metal will choose one of the sites we have offered so that jobs and a new type of industry will come here," says Stefan Dalin (S), chairman of Torsboda Industrial Park and chairman of Timrå's municipal board.

Jobs ahead

The deal with Kaunas Metal will be moved from Torsboda Industrial Park to Sundsvall or Timrå municipality depending on the choice of area.

- "If we get the establishment to Söråker according to the master plan, we will start work on a detailed planning process. Then we will test whether the land is suitable for the purpose, says Douglas Helsing, city architect Timrå municipality. The land has long been intended for industries.

- If it is decided to proceed with the alternative in Töva, Sundsvall municipality will transfer the process to a private actor who will then conduct a dialog with property owners and stakeholders to test the feasibility of the project, says Andreaz Strömgren, urban planning director of Sundsvall municipality.

Decision before the end of the year

Kaunas Metal has expressed its wish to reach a decision before the end of the year.

- "I am proud that we can quickly meet needs that arise and that we have several really good potential areas for establishments in our municipalities. Further processes will show whether we can succeed with any of the sites," says Niklas Säwén (S), Vice Chairman of Torsboda Industrial Park and Chairman of Sundsvall Municipal Executive Board. "Together we will get further.

Facts:
Detailed plan - A detailed plan shows what land within a certain area is to be used for. The preparation of detailed plans is an open process regulated by the Planning and Building Act. Those who are considered affected by a detailed plan proposal are given insight into the work and have the opportunity to submit comments on the proposal during the process.

In the picture: On the left, the approximate area in Söråker is shown in blue, on the right the plan area in Töva is circled with a blue line.

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