2IMATCH

The 2IMATCH consortium examines how green electrification can deliver a more resilient energy system and society in an uncertain world disrupted by several human-made disasters and seemingly persistent global confrontation. With green electrification, we refer to the ongoing transition to a climate neutral and effective system where electricity, based largely on renewable sources, becomes the main energy carrier in all consumption sectors and where electricity-based fuels such as hydrogen, ammonia and methanol become commonplace.

We focus on the involved resilience challenge, and propose that reaping the benefits whilst restraining the new vulnerabilities requires new and refurbished energy infrastructure and institutional adaptation and innovation. We take Finland as a local case of global energy transition owing to the high interaction capacity of Finnish actors.

The project will produce:

solution proposals on the dilemmas that emerge between resilience and justice in new infrastructure development, informed by interdisciplinary research;
analyses on how new regulations and policies in the USA and EU shape new energy geopolitics and in turn, Finnish choices;
optimization solutions regarding combinations of large and small, centralized and decentralized infrastructures, enabled by a new, methodologically advanced, open-source modelling tools with open access data pipelines;
new conceptual framework for the comprehensive study of resilience, informed by interdisciplinary security studies;
comparative knowledge on the resilience/justice implications of energy infrastructure and institutional reforms, based on case studies; and
an improved understanding of how municipal utilities and SMEs can adapt to the transition.

For further information on the project, please download a summary of the research plan. (PDF, 1.02 MB)

Funding source

The project is funded by the Strategic Research Council (SRC) established within the Research Council of Finland.

Partners

The project’s key target groups include authorities, companies and other organisations from the energy and security sectors, for example, relevant ministries and agencies, transmission and distribution system operators, SMEs, municipal utilities, industries along the value chains of green electrification technologies, and think-tanks. The project also seeks to liaise with IT and data companies.

Consortium member organisations

Tampere University (TAU)

Tampere University leads the consortium and has two research groups involved: the Politics Unit and the Industrial Engineering and Management Unit. The Politics Unit coordinates the overall management and scientific programme and the industrial Engineering and Management Unit coordinates stakeholder interaction. TAU’s work in the project focuses on resilience and wider security practices, critical materials, policy instruments and policy mixes, and comparative case studies.

Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE)

SYKE's work in the project focuses especially on the energy justice implications of infrastructure and policy choices, land use issues, biomass analyses, value chains, and systems theory.

Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA)

FIIA’s work in the project focuses especially on comparative case studies, including analyses of current national transition policies, and supports the international legal-political analyses and work on resilience and wider security practices.

University of Lapland

In the project, the Faculty of Law from the University of Lapland focuses especially on international legal-political analyses, critical materials and a case study on China.

VTT Technical Research Ltd

VTT’s work in the project focuses on modelling, technical resilience, and critical minerals.

Project publications

Articles

Siddi, M., Silvan, K. Nuclear energy and international relations: the external strategy of Russia’s Rosatom. Int Polit (2024).

This article analyses the role of nuclear energy in global politics today through the perspective of three International Relations theories: realism, liberalism and dependency theory. It contends that concepts developed to investigate oil and gas geopolitics do not always apply to the nuclear sector due to its greater complexity. The supply chain for nuclear power involves different, interrelated stages—notably the provision of natural uranium, of enriched uranium, and the construction and servicing of nuclear reactors—which have distinct leading suppliers and relationships of dependence. We illustrate this through a case study of Russia’s state nuclear company Rosatom. Rosatom leads in the provision of enriched uranium and reactor construction. This enables Russia to deepen economic and political relations with Rosatom’s clients. Even after its attack on Ukraine, Russia has not ‘weaponized’ Rosatom’s international business. Its strategy focuses on consolidating its reputation as a trustworthy partner, especially in the Global South and China. To read the full article, please follow this link: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41311-024-00618-0

Briefs

China aims at strategic autonomy and technology leadership in hydrogen

This research brief discusses China’s policy framework for hydrogen development in the context of hydrogen geopolitics. China’s approach to hydrogen development emphasizes clean techno-industrial development and domestic value chains with interests in self-reliance, technology leadership, and low-carbon development. These interests turn attention to the domestic hydrogen market. International trade interests are more prevalent with regards to green hydrogen production technologies, namely electrolysers. To read more, please follow this link to the brief.

Consortium director: Prof. Pami Aalto, pami.aalto [at] tuni.fi

Coordinator: Anna Claydon, anna.claydon [at] tuni.fi

Interaction coordinator: Ulla Saari, ulla.saari [at] tuni.fi

Resilient infrastructure and energy justice dilemmas: Sampo Soimakallio, sampo.soimakallio [at] syke.fi

Institutional challenges: Sirja-Leena Penttinen, sirja-leena.penttinen [at] ulapland.fi

Open modelling framework: Juha Kiviluoma, juha.kiviluoma [at] vtt.fi

Resilience and wider security practices: Eneken Tikk, eneken.tikk [at] tuni.fi

Case studies: Marco Siddi, marco.siddi [at] fiia.fi