Green investment in Eskilstuna – approved to release 900 tons of banned chemical
Publicerad 2025-06-03, 09:52
900 tons per year of a banned and hazardous chemical will be released into the air. The neighbors nearby have no idea.
Meanwhile, both local and regional authorities have tried to stop the facility. Employees now speak out about a poor safety culture and managers who suddenly resigned.
Construction is in full swing in the industrial area of Svista, just outside Eskilstuna. Here, the Chinese company Shenzhen Senior Material is preparing to produce 700 million square meters of separator film annually for Northvolt and other European electric vehicle battery manufacturers.
The news that the company had chosen Eskilstuna for its European expansion was announced in March 2021. A 2.5 billion SEK investment and 600 new jobs were promised.
”An industrial comeback for Eskilstuna!” exclaimed Jimmy Jansson (S), chairman of the municipal board, in the local newspaper.
It’s the largest industrial investment in the city’s history and Senior’s first facility outside of China. According to the municipality, it’s an industry of the future. Eskilstuna has boarded the green transition train.
But there’s a catch.
The separator film is produced using methylene chloride, a highly toxic chemical. Inhalation can be directly fatal. Long-term exposure can lead to several types of cancer, birth defects, miscarriages, nerve damage, and dementia.
”You must avoid exposure. I hope the factory workers aren’t exposed — that could end very badly,” says Åke Bergman, senior professor at Örebro University and professor emeritus of environmental chemistry at Stockholm University.
The substance has been banned in Sweden since 1996 — but companies can apply for an exemption from the Swedish Chemicals Agency. These exemptions are granted only for two years at a time, with the requirement that the chemical be phased out.
This policy has worked: usage has dropped from 427 tons in 1996 to just over 10 tons in 2022.
Chinese giant gets permission to use banned chemical
Now, that’s changing dramatically. Senior Material has been granted permission to use 2,770 tons of methylene chloride over two years — 267 times more than the total used in Sweden the year before. The Chemicals Agency even issued a rare press release justifying the decision, saying there were no alternatives for producing separator film.
”Those are remarkable volumes,” says Åke Bergman. ”It seems that under the banner of green transition, almost anything is allowed. And that worries me.”
One of Senior’s former managers, who wishes to remain anonymous, is critical of the factory’s use of the toxic chemical.
”It sounded insane. But then… we saw pictures and videos from the facilities in China, and it looked like they knew what they were doing. It’s supposed to be a closed system.”
The company claims that there’s no risk, as the chemical is used in a sealed environment. The tanks with methylene chloride are kept in rooms with negative air pressure, pulling air in rather than letting it out.
Employees must wear special protective clothing and pass through airlocks. All pipes are welded — not screwed — to prevent vapor leaks. The system is designed to protect both personnel and the sensitive separator film from contamination.
But the system is not sealed — Dagens Arbete can now reveal.
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System leaks hundreds of tons of toxins
Large quantities of methylene chloride will escape from the facility as gas. Authorities have approved Senior’s handling of 2,770 tons over two years. They’re allowed to release 900 tons annually.
But not without protests.
Eskilstuna’s Environmental Department and the Sörmland County Administrative Board have questioned the use of such large amounts of hazardous chemicals. The Environmental Permit Board even wanted to halt the project because nearby residents were not sufficiently informed.
Nevertheless, the Land and Environment Court gave the company the green light.
Professor Åke Bergman is alarmed when he sees the factory’s potential emissions: about 2.5 tons every day, year-round.
”That’s not acceptable. It’s strange that the system can’t be sealed better — 900 tons of leaks means it’s not a closed system.”
In its permit application, Senior hired several consulting firms to downplay the risks of the new facility.
They claimed the methylene chloride ”leaves the production line,” when in fact the solvent is released directly into the air.
They labeled the emissions as ”diffuse,” even though industrial emissions from chimneys or treatment facilities — as defined by law — should be classified as ”point source” emissions.
The 32 chimneys shown in the blueprints were referred to by Senior and their consultants as ”ventilation hoses” and ”outlet ports.” Twenty of those chimneys will release methylene chloride — but none were included in the documentation shown to neighbors during consultations.
Jörgen Johansson, head of the Environmental Protection Unit at the Sörmland County Administrative Board, says it’s common for consultants to use strategic language.
”Everyone applying for a permit has come far enough that they want approval. They won’t highlight any problems. You rarely see outright lies, but there’s a lot of wordplay — that’s inevitable.”
He also says that challenging these massive applications has become increasingly difficult.
”There’s a lot of political pressure not to be too obstructive.”
Flawed calculations
Because the emissions are considered ”diffuse,” the assumption is that the toxic gas will disperse into the air and blow away. No dangerous concentrations will remain.
But the calculations have a serious flaw.
The permit application assumes methylene chloride weighs the same as air. It doesn’t — in gas form, it’s nearly three times heavier.
The calculations were done by IVL, the Swedish Environmental Research Institute. In an email, unit head Mona Olsson Öberg explains that they treated the gas density as equal to that of air, since the concentration was so low.
”Because methylene chloride constitutes such a small part of the air mass, its effect on density was considered negligible. A gas mixed with air won’t fall to the ground faster than air itself. Therefore, methylene chloride won’t accumulate at ground level.”
But Dagens Arbete also spoke to the former IVL consultant who made the calculations. She confirms that, ”for technical reasons,” they ignored the chemical’s higher density. Had they accounted for it, the outcome could have looked different.
”The gas would settle closer to the chimney, where concentrations would be higher,” she says.
She acknowledges that local concentrations may have been underestimated. The calculations didn’t account for what’s called the “downwash effect” — something IVL clearly states in its report.
”We included that disclaimer to prompt questions,” says project manager Gabriella Villamor Saucedo.
But no such questions were raised by the authorities during the permit process — nor during consultations with residents.
When Dagens Arbete went door to door in the area, none of the neighbors were aware the plant had been granted permission to release 900 tons of toxins.
Another challenge faced by consultants and regulators is that there are no set emission limits for this type of industry.
That’s because legislation hasn’t kept up with the green transition. Senior’s operations, for instance, are not covered by the so-called Seveso Directive, which aims to prevent serious chemical accidents. Nor are they covered by the EU’s Industrial Emissions Directive.
Instead, Senior’s consultants used occupational exposure limits — even though those are typically much higher than limits for outdoor emissions.
IVL’s consultant confirms the difficulty.
”It’s really hard to assess when there are no proper reference values. It’s difficult to say what’s high or low,” says Gabriella Villamor Saucedo.
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Swedish EPA chose not to comment
Sweden’s Environmental Protection Agency chose not to submit a statement on the case — despite the record-breaking volume of a banned chemical. That surprises environmental chemist Åke Bergman.
”I don’t think the EPA can ignore such a massive application.”
According to Lisa Johansson, head of the EPA’s industry unit, it’s a matter of resources and priorities.
”Unfortunately, we don’t have the capacity to get involved in every permit case,” she says.
”In hindsight, considering how generous the Chemicals Agency’s decision was, we might have made a different choice.”
Production already underway in Eskilstuna
Senior was granted final approval to start production in December 2023. But operations have already begun on a small scale — so far without methylene chloride. Rolls of base film are imported from China and cut for testing by the main customer, Northvolt. Full production with methylene chloride is expected to start in 2025 — and with it, the emissions.
Dagens Arbete has repeatedly requested to visit the facility. Senior’s current HR manager, Cecilia Vallin, has cited various reasons over several months for why it’s not possible. One reason: new leadership. The CEO and deputy CEO have just been replaced. The turnover in management has been unusually high, according to employees and former managers.
”My direct supervisor was let go on the spot,” says one employee. ”I wasn’t at work that day — he called me personally to tell me. I thought that was a nice gesture.”
”Those who knew how things should be done in Sweden — they’re no longer there,” says a former manager. ”If you’re too much of a troublemaker, you won’t last. I chose to leave because I had no say.”
Senior continues to recruit new operators — reportedly about as many from Sweden as from China.
”Many of those coming in don’t speak any English, so communication is a bit tricky,” says one anonymous employee.
The white-collar staff from China, however, speak good English. But there are cultural differences, says another former manager.
”They have a very different view of hierarchies — and of gender roles. So, yeah… it’s a very unusual workplace.”
One employee, who also wishes to remain anonymous, is aware of the risks and unsure about staying once methylene chloride is introduced.
”I’m not that keen on working there once it’s in use. If handled properly, it shouldn’t be a problem. And maybe they’ll step up the whole safety culture — but it’s not very strong right now.”
Factory area to double in size
While construction progresses in Svista, Senior has expanded its ambitions. The company has secured several new contracts, including one with Norwegian battery producer Freyr. What started as a 2.5 billion SEK investment has now doubled.
The factory site currently covers 19 hectares, but an additional 19 have been promised by the municipality. The total area will be the size of 75 football fields.
In its public materials, Senior Material presents stylized renderings of the upcoming factory. Clean and modern — a white and blue monument to the green transition.
But a sharp eye will notice: none of the 32 chimneys are shown.
The emission points where two and a half tons of toxic methylene chloride may soon be released — every day, all year round.
Andreas Rocksén, David Lundmark