Reports related to this article:
Project(s): View 3 related projects in PECWeb
Plant(s): View 2 related plants in PECWeb
Released October 22, 2015 | GALWAY, IRELAND
en
Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--Four nuclear reactors in Sweden are to be either decommissioned or closed early by their operators: Sweden's state-owned power utility, Vattenfall AB (Stockholm, Sweden), and E.ON AG (OTC:EONGY) (Dusseldorf, Germany).
Vattenfall, after an extraordinary general meeting with plant operator Ringhals AB, confirmed earlier promises that it is bringing forward the decommissioning dates for the Ringhals units 1 and 2 reactors. Ringhals 2 will be decommissioned in 2019 instead of 2024, and Ringhals 1 will be decommissioned by 2020, instead of the end of 2023. Ringhals 1 was commissioned in 1976 and has a generating capacity of 878 megawatts (MW), while Unit 2 was commissioned in 1975 and has a generating capacity of 806 MW. The reactors are the oldest of the company's seven operational nuclear reactors and will result in the loss of about 1,000 jobs.
Industrial Info first reported on Vattenfall's' intentions in May. For additional information, see May 1, 2015, article - Vattenfall Shutting Two Nuclear Reactors Early.
The decision was based on an analysis carried out this summer into fuel costs, future maintenance requirements and any investments that would be required in order to run the reactors until 2020.
"We believe it was absolutely essential to take the decision now, so Ringhals can undertake detailed planning, to optimise the costs of both investments and maintenance," said Torbjörn Wahlborg, head of generation at Vattenfall and chairman of the board of Ringhals AB.
Vattenfall's decision will not impact the operation of the newer Ringhals 3 and 4 reactors on the same site.
In a separate decision, E.ON-owned OKG said that units 1 and 2 of the Oskarshamn nuclear power plant in Sweden will be shut down permanently. Unit 1 will be shut sometime between 2017 and 2019, with Unit 2 to close in 2020. The reactors have a combined generating capacity of just more than 1,000 MW. The larger Unit 3 reactor will not be affected. E.ON is the largest shareholder of the Oskarshamn facility and its decision for early closure was opposed by minority stakeholder, Finland's largest utility, Fortum Oyj (HEL:FUM1V) (Espoo, Finland). The decision was blamed on weak wholesale electricity prices, Sweden's high tax on nuclear power, and the cost of future investments in the plants.
"This is naturally a tremendously sad decision for me as well as for our employees," said OKG Managing Director Johan Svenningsson. "Any immediate dismissal notices due to the decision on the shutdown are not considered necessary in the short term, but planning has been initiated regarding adjusting the organisation based on the conditions that we now have to adapt to. Such a process will obviously be handled in a responsible manner with focus on safety."
Unit 2, which is offline, will not be restarted, OKG said. Unit 1 will continue to operate until a final closure schedule is confirmed.
Sweden's minority government is favor of phasing out nuclear power completely. In January, Vattenfall shelved plans to build a new nuclear reactor at Ringhals. For additional information, see January 28, 2015, article - Sweden's Nuclear Future Frozen.
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. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities. To contact an office in your area, visit the Industrial Info "Contact Us" page.
Vattenfall, after an extraordinary general meeting with plant operator Ringhals AB, confirmed earlier promises that it is bringing forward the decommissioning dates for the Ringhals units 1 and 2 reactors. Ringhals 2 will be decommissioned in 2019 instead of 2024, and Ringhals 1 will be decommissioned by 2020, instead of the end of 2023. Ringhals 1 was commissioned in 1976 and has a generating capacity of 878 megawatts (MW), while Unit 2 was commissioned in 1975 and has a generating capacity of 806 MW. The reactors are the oldest of the company's seven operational nuclear reactors and will result in the loss of about 1,000 jobs.
Industrial Info first reported on Vattenfall's' intentions in May. For additional information, see May 1, 2015, article - Vattenfall Shutting Two Nuclear Reactors Early.
The decision was based on an analysis carried out this summer into fuel costs, future maintenance requirements and any investments that would be required in order to run the reactors until 2020.
"We believe it was absolutely essential to take the decision now, so Ringhals can undertake detailed planning, to optimise the costs of both investments and maintenance," said Torbjörn Wahlborg, head of generation at Vattenfall and chairman of the board of Ringhals AB.
Vattenfall's decision will not impact the operation of the newer Ringhals 3 and 4 reactors on the same site.
In a separate decision, E.ON-owned OKG said that units 1 and 2 of the Oskarshamn nuclear power plant in Sweden will be shut down permanently. Unit 1 will be shut sometime between 2017 and 2019, with Unit 2 to close in 2020. The reactors have a combined generating capacity of just more than 1,000 MW. The larger Unit 3 reactor will not be affected. E.ON is the largest shareholder of the Oskarshamn facility and its decision for early closure was opposed by minority stakeholder, Finland's largest utility, Fortum Oyj (HEL:FUM1V) (Espoo, Finland). The decision was blamed on weak wholesale electricity prices, Sweden's high tax on nuclear power, and the cost of future investments in the plants.
"This is naturally a tremendously sad decision for me as well as for our employees," said OKG Managing Director Johan Svenningsson. "Any immediate dismissal notices due to the decision on the shutdown are not considered necessary in the short term, but planning has been initiated regarding adjusting the organisation based on the conditions that we now have to adapt to. Such a process will obviously be handled in a responsible manner with focus on safety."
Unit 2, which is offline, will not be restarted, OKG said. Unit 1 will continue to operate until a final closure schedule is confirmed.
Sweden's minority government is favor of phasing out nuclear power completely. In January, Vattenfall shelved plans to build a new nuclear reactor at Ringhals. For additional information, see January 28, 2015, article - Sweden's Nuclear Future Frozen.
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. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities. To contact an office in your area, visit the Industrial Info "Contact Us" page.
