News yesterday that one of the world’s biggest aluminium companies, Norsk Hydro, is to phase out its battery materials and green hydrogen businesses, will have been met with not a few fist pumps in fossil fuel boardrooms around the world, including here in SA. 

The Norwegian giant was also an enthusiastic investor in Northvolt, a battery manufacturer born of an ambition to create a European giant in the business. Billions of euros and dollars went into Northvolt. BMW and Volkswagen became shareholders, VW investing nearly $1bn before it began to collapse earlier this year. Northvolt is now in chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in the US. ..

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