In 1980, in a non-binding resolution, Swedish lawmakers voted to phase out nuclear energy. Since then, six of its twelve nuclear reactors have been shut down. Now, there is a breath of reality. On Aug. 21, the government announced that between three to five small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) will be built to provide 1,500 MW. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said, “For the first time in 50 years, new nuclear power will be built in Sweden.”
The president and CEO of Sweden’s state energy utility Vattenfall, Anna Borg, said that they are considering a small modular reactor from either Britain’s Rolls-Royce or the American group, GE Vernova. The latter is currently building its 300 MW SMR in Ontario, Canada. She added that the cost of the project “was still a matter of negotiation,” but the aim is to have the new reactors built by around 2035. In addition, she said the company was “already looking at the next step to build additional reactors where Ringhals 1 and 2 are currently located.”
