Vattenfall

Hydropower has been part of the energy system for more than a century. But the conditions around it are changing. At our R&D centre in Sweden, we’re studying how to adapt hydropower to new conditions – from more variable operation to lower-impact materials.

Here, large-scale models of dams and waterways are built and shaped to mirror real conditions. It allows us to test how water flows, how structures respond, and how designs can be improved before they are implemented.

As hydropower takes on a more flexible role in the energy system, this type of research helps us make informed decisions – both for existing plants and future development.

Read more: https://brnw.ch/21x5l9U

How do you add more fossil-free electricity without building new power plants?

By upgrading the ones already in place.

Across our hydropower fleet, we’re modernising turbines, generators and control systems. Since 2016, this has increased capacity by around 800 MW, with ongoing projects set to add hundreds more. That’s enough to supply hundreds of thousands of households each year.

At the same time, upgrades go hand in hand with efforts to improve biodiversity – from supporting fish migration to restoring habitats along regulated rivers.

Read more: https://brnw.ch/21x5biP

Some challenges seem impossible at first. Until someone comes along with a different perspective. Suddenly, all it takes is a twist, a turn, a flash of brilliance and a slight change of plans to prove that the impossible was possible all along.

At Vattenfall, our attitude has always been that there’s a way to take on even the toughest challenges. So even when it feels like there’s no way to leave fossil fuels behind, we say: there’s only no way until there is one.

Every great achievement begins with a failed attempt. A fall. A stumble. A missed step that makes progress feel out of reach. But progress has always been driven by those who get up and try again. That use their determination, willpower and a hint of human ingenuity to find a way.

At Vattenfall, our attitude has always been that there’s a way to take on even the toughest challenges. So even when it feels like there’s no way to leave fossil fuels behind, we say: there’s only no way until there is one.

With fossil free electricity, there’s a way.

Read more at: https://brnw.ch/21x3VuB

At Vattenfall, our attitude has always been that there’s a way. Progress is rarely easy, but always possible – with the right mindset. Time has taught us that human ingenuity, confidence, and determination have enabled achievements that once seemed impossible - both in people’s everyday lives and in society. So even when it feels like there’s no way, we say: there’s only no way until there is one. That’s our attitude to leaving fossil fuels behind. With fossil-free electricity, there's a way.

Read more at https://brnw.ch/21x3SyB

Our new wind farm Bruzaholm is already creating value beyond electricity production.

More than 70% of the subcontractors involved in the project are based in Eksjö or neighbouring municipalities, contributing to local jobs and strengthening regional businesses throughout the construction phase.

The wind farm also brings direct financial support to the local community. Through the Swedish government’s wind power support scheme, Eksjö municipality is expected to receive around SEK 2.8 million in 2026. In addition, Vattenfall allocates SEK 13,000 per wind turbine to local initiatives – amounting to more than SEK 500,000 in 2025 alone.

The project shows how renewable energy can create direct value for local communities as part of the energy transition.

Read more: https://group.vattenfall.com/press-and-media/newsroom/2026/collaboration-and-competitiveness-in-focus-at-bruzaholms-inauguration/

Photographer: Bengt Ljunggren

Our new solar park Juliusburg / Krukow in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, is built* with steel made from almost 100% scrap, supplied by our Swedish partner SSAB.
This shift cuts CO₂ emissions throughout the supply chain by 67% – from 460 tonnes to 153. That’s a reduction of 307 tonnes, equivalent to the emissions from driving a car around the globe about 40 times.
By lowering carbon emissions when building energy infrastructure, our work towards fossil freedom shows that there’s a way forward.

*The steel is used in the substructures of the solar modules on the Krukow section of the park.

Read more at https://group.vattenfall.com/press-and-media/pressreleases/2026/vattenfall-builds-first-solar-park-using-low-emission-steel/

At our new wind farm in Southern Sweden, Bruzaholm, much of the emissions reduction happens before the turbines are even spinning.
Building the foundations, we used a concrete mix emitting around 212 kg CO₂ per m³, compared to roughly 270 kg CO₂ per m³ for conventional concrete. By optimising both the mix and the design, we also reduced the total volume needed.

We powered machinery and transport with HVO100, a renewable bio-diesel, and used recycled plastic for cable ducts and foundations.

The materials in the energy infrastructure – steel, cement and foundations – account for a significant share of our climate impact, so they must be part of the transition.

This is an important step to show there’s a way towards a society where it’s possible to move, make and live fossil free.

Read more about Bruzaholm at https://group.vattenfall.com/press-and-media/pressreleases/2026/vattenfall-inaugurates-bruzaholm-wind-farm/