Latest news with #Skellefteå
Reuters
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Reuters
Northvolt ramped up production of quality batteries before halting operations, former COO says
STOCKHOLM, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Bankrupt Swedish battery maker Northvolt had stepped up production of high-quality battery cells at its Skellefteå plant before operations were halted, a former executive said on Friday, a major factor in sealing a deal to sell the company. Northvolt, once seen as Europe's answer to dominant Chinese battery manufacturers, filed for bankruptcy in March and ceased production in June after failing to secure a buyer in time. U.S. battery startup Lyten said on Thursday it would buy most of Northvolt's assets, reviving hopes of a European battery champion. Lyten CEO Dan Cook told Reuters this week that the quality delivered by Northvolt's management team - many of whom are expected to join Lyten - was a key factor behind the deal, and that as yields had already reached the 90% range, ramp up time was expected to be relatively short. Northvolt's former Chief Operations Officer Matthias Arleth said at a press conference on Friday that the company had been producing up to 30,000 high-quality battery cells per week at Skellefteå. It was not clear what role, if any, Arleth will play going forward. Reuters reported in November that Northvolt had missed internal targets for cells deemed good enough to be delivered to clients. Gustaf Sundell, head of ventures and new business at truckmaker Scania, told Reuters on Thursday that the company had been satisfied with the quality of the Northvolt cells it eventually received. However, he said it was too early to determine whether Scania would place orders with Lyten. Northvolt's bankruptcy trustee Mikael Kubu said that many creditors would incur significant losses, without giving further details. The company's debt totalled around $8 billion. Unsecured creditors include major shareholders Goldman Sachs and Volkswagen ( opens new tab, whose brands Scania, Porsche and Audi, were among Northvolt's customers. Lyten, a Silicon Valley battery startup developing lithium-sulphur cells as a cleaner alternative to lithium-ion, is backed by Jeep-owner Stellantis ( opens new tab and U.S. delivery services provider FedEx (FDX.N), opens new tab. The trustee said the acquisition of Swedish assets was expected to close by the end of October with "a bit more time" needed to close abroad.
Belfast Telegraph
31-07-2025
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
‘I was ready for a new challenge': Swedish shock as Belfast Giants add veteran winger to roster
Only four Swedish players have represented the club in its 25-year history, but Marcus Eriksson will become the fifth when he laces up the skates for the 2025/26 campaign having agreed a switch to the SSE Arena from Allsvenskan side Södertälje for the upcoming season. However, while Södertälje was where he finished last season, the Giants are effectively signing the Norrköping native directly from the Swedish Hockey League as he spent the majority of the season with their former Champions League opponents Skellefteå, dressing for 37 games in the top flight, scoring three goals and seven points. But while inking a player directly from the SHL is a surprise in itself – the last player the Giants did that with was Liam Reddox in 2019 – perhaps an even bigger surprise is the fact that they have brought in a player who will be 40-years-old when the season begins. Eriksson will celebrate entering his fourth decade on August 20, two days before the Giants' pre-season double-header with Stavanger Oilers, making him the fifth player to represent the club after his 40th birthday after Ed Courtenay, Rob Stewart, Ashley Tait and Petr Cech – although, notably, he is only the second to start the season in Belfast, with Courtenay the only other on that list not signed as mid-season injury help. Still, while his age perhaps might look like something of a surprise, it is hard to argue with the Swedish winger's body of work as he looks to follow in the footsteps of Grand Slam winner Henrik Eriksson, the last Scandinavian on the Giants' books in 2024, Johan Edjepalm, Fredrik Näsvall and Rickard Palmberg. In his 23-year career – signing in Belfast will extend it into 24 – Eriksson has spent 13 of them in the Allsvenskan and has only improved with age, becoming a cult hero with his hometown club Vita Hästen whom he spent 18 years with and led from the third-tier Ettan into the Allsvenskan in 2014 before finding prolific success in the second-tier. Besides a brief spell with Division 2 side Guts during Covid-19, after their promotion Eriksson spent the next nine years with Vita Hästen and smashed in 104 goals and 356 points for the White Horses, although his best was still to come when he agreed a move to Södertälje ahead of a 2023/24 season that, while disappointing from a team perspective, was a lucrative one for the winger. In 50 regular season games, Eriksson would fire in 20 goals and 59 points, putting up the most assists and points in the entire League on his way to being named the League's Most Valuable Player, and that would earn him his first SHL contract last season as he stepped up to Skellefteå, before returning to Södertälje just before the transfer deadline. The Giants will certainly hope that he continues to get better with age as he leaves Sweden for the first time in his career, although he already has had a small taster of the Elite League having faced the Sheffield Steelers in the Champions League last season – with a 3-2 defeat something he will be eager to right. 'I've enjoyed a long career in Sweden, but was ready for a new experience and challenge. I'm really excited to be joining the Giants, and to test myself in the Elite League. I'm looking forward to bringing my experience to the group and help the team compete for trophies this season,' said Eriksson. Giants head coach Adam Keefe added: 'Marcus is a player with great vision, experience, and professionalism. He's played at a high level in Sweden for a long time and will bring real creativity and intelligence to our offence, and he excels on the power play, which is such an important part of every game. We're excited to welcome him to Belfast.'
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
SDHL Playoff Preview: Luleå vs Skellefteå
First place Luleå will look to win yet another SDHL title. To do so, they'll need to get through upstart Skellefteå first. Here's a look at their opening round SDHL playoff series. In the first round of the SDHL playoffs, which begin on Wednesday, regular season champions Luleå will face off against league newcomers Skellefteå. On paper, Skellefteå is outmatched; they dropped all four contests they played against Luleå this season, and were outscored by a combined 18-6. Luleå boasts five of the league's top 15 scorers and tallied 160 goals this season, 64 more than their eighth place opponents, Skellefteå. Petra Nieminen won the league's scoring title, with 45 points (25g, 20a). No SKE player hit the 30 point mark. Indeed, six of Luleå's players scored more than their opponent's top scorer. Luleå seems to only go from strength to strength: imports Sarah Bujold and Savannah Norcross, though added later in the season, immediately made an impact, each tallying 18 points in 14 and 13 games played respectively. The reigning SDHL champs unsurprisingly led the league in power play success rate at 29.4% and penalty killing at 94.3%. Despite Luleå's undeniable might, Skellefteå has reason to believe. The newest SDHL team has battled hard all season, and celebrated upset wins against both Frölunda and MoDo. They secured a playoff spot despite being docked wins and points in the standings when they league determined they had dressed too many imports for games in the first half of the season. Finnish wing Ida Kuoppala and Dane Nicoline Söndergaard Jensen have been heating up, with 11 and nine points respectively in the team's last ten games. Goaltender Camryn Drever has played exceptionally all season, her first in Sweden after a standout career at the University of Saskatchewan. Finns Aino Karppinen and Sini Karjalainen have shown flashes of brilliance, while Marah Wagner, Mikayla Lantto and young Nikita Bergmann have shown no fear (and a high degree of swag) against some of the league's fiercest opponents. Skellefteå will eventually succumb, but not without putting up a Prediction: Luleå wins series 3-0
