Sweden Shutting Oskarshamn Unit 1 Nuclear Reactor in 2017

Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--Sweden's OKG AB (Oskarshamn, Sweden) has confirmed plans to permanently shut the Unit 1 reactor at the Oskarshamn nuclear power plant (NPP) in 2017.

The decision by OKG confirms plans revealed in 2013 by parent company E.ON AG (FWB: EOAN) (Düsseldorf, Germany) to begin the early closure and decommissioning of its four Swedish reactors. E.ON cited weak wholesale electricity prices, Sweden's high tax on nuclear power and the cost of future investments in the plants for its decision. For additional information, see August 21, 2013, article - Sweden Shutting Four Nuclear Reactors Early.

OKG said it will now begin decommissioning Oskarshamn 1 during its next planned outage in 2017, claiming the timing fits with the company's overall plan for the early closure of reactors. Oskarshamn 1 has a generating capacity of 492 megawatts (MW). Last October, the company decided not to resume operations at Oskarshamn 2 (661 MW), which was in the process of being modernised after closing in June 2013. Unit 3 at the plant, the newest reactor with a generating capacity of 1.400 MW, will continue to operate.

"We will as always ensure a reliable and safe operation until the closing date," explained Chief Executive Officer Johan Dasht. "An orderly and planned closure of Unit 1 is conditional upon having motivated employees that are fully focused on production up to the date of closure, but who must also be focused on new assignments in other modes of operation. The closure decision is not attributable to reasons of safety. The decision is based on the sustained low electricity prices, combined with the output tax on nuclear power, which has now also increased. Accordingly, there are no prerequisites for either Unit 1 or Unit 2 to generate financial profitability in the short or long term."

Decommissioning of the plant will occur in four phases, starting with the reactor being emptied of nuclear fuel, which will be stored in existing fuel pools for approximately a year, before being transported to a facility for spent nuclear fuel at nearby Clab, operated by Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB) (Stockholm).

Earlier this month, Industrial Info reported that Sweden is going to add armed guards and dog patrols to its nuclear plants to boost security in the wake of increased terror attacks. For additional information, see February 11, 2016, article - Fear of Terror Attacks Forces Sweden to Boost Nuclear Plant Security.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, five offices in North America and 10 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Our European headquarters are located in Galway, Ireland. Follow IIR Europe on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn For more information on our European coverage send inquiries to info@industrialinfo.eu or visit us online at Industrial Info Europe.