The FINANCIAL — NIB has signed a 15-year loan deal with the City of Luleå to finance water infrastructure investments in one of Sweden’s fastest-growing economic areas.
The SEK 500 million loan will help finance the construction of a second bio-waste digester, a bio-fuel upgrade and a sewage pipeline, as well as financing the expansion of a drinking water plant in Luleå, according to NIB.
Constructing a second digester at the Uddebo wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) will reduce the number of maintenance breaks and increase flexibility. The Uddebo WWTP digester is scheduled to be completed in 2018.
The bio-fuel upgrade installed at Uddebo uses a unique, new membrane filtering technique, which lowers emissions of methane. The bio-fuel is used to fuel the municipality’s vehicles, and surplus gas is used for heating the wastewater treatment plant. The production of bio-fuel started in February 2016.
The East Link sewage pipeline project will replace outdated pipes and expand the water and wastewater network of around 3.5 kilometres. This allows for new residential areas to be connected to the systems. In addition, there will be some improvements in the urban environment in terms of mobility and green areas, contributing to enhancing quality of life and the efficiency of public services. The East Link is scheduled for completion by 2020.
The upgraded Gäddvik drinking water plant was commissioned in November 2015. The upgrade consisted of new freshwater pipes and an 80% increase in its water intake capacity. This enables the construction of new residential areas to meet the future demands of a growing population.
Luleå is the capital of the Norrbotten region in northern Sweden and is one of the country’s fastest-growing economic areas. The city has a combination of industry, technology, trade, education and culture that attracts new businesses, such as data centres. The Port of Luleå is one of the largest in Sweden in terms of bulk shipments of ore, steel, oil, and freight, and it operates year-round.
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