Sweden’s ambitious plan to expand nuclear power by 2035 is in jeopardy as the deadline looms
The Swedish government’s goal of getting new nuclear power online by the middle of the next decade is a big challenge, but one that is within reach, according to the country’s nuclear power renewal coordinator.
Above all, effective communication between the different parts of the industry, the government and other agencies will be needed, said Carl Berglof, who was appointed as the national nuclear coordinator in January. The government’s road map calls for at least 2,500 megawatts up and running by 2035.
Sweden is in dire need of new energy as demand is expected to double with the electrification of the economy in the coming decades. Sweden has six reactors today, which provide about a third of the nation’s electricity. State utility Vattenfall AB and Finland’s Fortum Oyj are among the firms studying new reactors, although investment decisions are still some time away.
“Sweden is seen as an attractive country to invest in as we know nuclear power,” Berglof told reporters in Stockholm on Tuesday. “But we have to show it’s possible.”
Clarity is needed on the funding provided by the state, he said. The model needs to remain the same though the newbuild system, he added.
Vattenfall said last week that the first new reactor to come online is in the early 2030s.
The company said it has narrowed the list of potential suppliers of the so-called small modular reactors to two companies from six – Rolls Royce Holdings Plc and GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy.
In parallel, Vattenfall continues to study potential suppliers of large units, including Electricite de France SA, Westinghouse Electric Co. and Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co. Vattenfall also said it is studying extending the lives of its existing units.
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