According to TV2, Swedish energy company Vattenfall has just announced that it is moving forward with its plans to build new nuclear reactors near the Ringhals power station, which is located south of Gothenburg and about 50 kilometers east of the Danish island of Læsø.
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New plans for small reactors to increase production capacity
Vattenfall confirmed that it has asked GE Vernova and Rolls-Royce to submit proposals for building so-called "small modular reactors" (SMRs) to boost the plant's production capacity. However, the company clarified that an investment decision will not be made before 2029, and if approved, the reactors are expected to be operational by 2035.
Political support for a new nuclear project after half a century
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson of the Moderate Party welcomed the move, noting that it was the first time in 50 years that new nuclear reactors had been built in Sweden. He also told the TT news agency that he would work to secure the necessary political support, saying: “We are very open to discussing future decisions with other parties,” according to TV2.
Ebba Busch, leader of the Christian Democratic Party in Sweden (Kristendemokraterna), stated that “nuclear power is here to stay,” adding: “The question is not whether we will build, but how quickly and on what scale we will build.”.
Details of the planned capacity of the new reactors
According to the source, Sweden plans to build three to five small reactors with a total capacity of up to 1,500 megawatts, which is equivalent to the output of two conventional reactors. Sweden currently has six active reactors, including two in Ringhals, three in Forsmark, and one in Oskarshamn.
It is worth noting that Sweden previously built 13 nuclear reactors, but seven of them have ceased operation, including the two reactors in Barsebäck near Copenhagen, the last of which was shut down in May 2005.
A strong comeback for nuclear energy in Sweden after the 2022 elections
According to TV2, interest in nuclear energy in Sweden has clearly returned after the 2022 parliamentary elections, with plans to increase production capacity through new reactors reaching 2,500 megawatts by 2035.
This is planned to be done by providing low-interest government loans and guaranteeing a minimum price for electricity produced from these reactors.
With these plans, Sweden appears determined to bring nuclear power back to the heart of its future strategy to meet the growing challenges in the energy sector.
