The overarching purpose of this pre-study report was to investigate the sustainability potential in designing so called ’energy hubs’ – a scalable concept for energy use, renewable energy production and energy storage. This could from time to time give local surplus of free renewable electricity. The american independent think-tank ReThinkX has named this situation SuperPower. More specifically this pres-study aimed to:

• Establish collaboration and partnerships around the energy hub concept.

• Identify criteria for where and how energy hubs should be built.

• Prepare for a future implementation project.

The methodology builds on the established Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (FSSD) and its generally applicable sustainability principles (SPs). This was done to be able to plan for energy systems in full compliance with socio-ecological sustainability while ensuring sufficient economic returns on the way there. The pre-study was performed in four steps according to the ABCD procedure of the FSSD:

• Step A. Develop a vision for energy hubs within the energy system and the sustainability principles of the FSSD:

• Step B. Map the current reality of the energy hubs in relation to the vision.

• Step C. List possible solutions that can enable the vision.

• Step D. Develop a preliminary step-by-step plan for an implementation project focused on a methodology for energy hub development within a future sustainable energy system.

The results can be summarised by that:

• Energy production, energy storage, and energy use can no longer be seen as separate from each other, but must be regarded as parts of a complex integrated system. Energy users in industry, transport, and the construction and housing sector at all levels should first improve efficiency as much as possible in order to ensure efficient use of resources quickly and at low cost.

• At the same time, individual energy users such as buildings and electric vehicles can contribute their own energy production and storage and become self-sufficient units that are connected to support the whole electricity grid. This would make the whole country become an integrated energy system — a self-regulating system that, once built, can supply society with cheap renewable energy from continuous natural flows. Such a system would also, compared to today’s centrally controlled system, be much less vulnerable to military attacks, climate change, and other disturbances. It would therefore also provide advantages from a security-policy perspective in the future.