Sweden to Phase Out Nuclear Power

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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--Sweden could be the latest European nation to ditch nuclear power, following the launch of an energy roadmap by the newly formed minority government.

The country's Social Democrat and Green parties, which make up the new government, have agreed to a new energy policy that could see four of the country's 10 nuclear reactors shut down by 2018. This marks a U-turn on nuclear power, as the outgoing coalition government had ruled in favor of developing new reactors to replace ageing ones back in 2009.

Sweden has three nuclear power plants, with a total of 10 reactors. They were commissioned in the 1970s and 1980s, and the oldest reactors are scheduled for closure in 2025. Nuclear power accounts for about 40% of the country's electricity, so there can be no rapid exit from the sector.

This is not the first time that Sweden has attempted to move away from nuclear power. It had planned to start phasing out nuclear power generation by 2010, but in 2009, the government agreed to allow energy companies to replace older reactors. In 2010, the government put forward two controversial bills that would end the country's 30-year ban on new nuclear plants. For additional information see March 29, 2010, article - Sweden's Nuclear Power U-turn Progresses.

The first four reactors that the new government will want to shut down already have had their lives extended beyond the original 40 years. They include Oskarshamn units 1 and 2, and Ringhals units 1 and 2. They have a combined generating capacity of over 2,800-megawatts (MW).

"As a result of stricter safety regulations and higher costs for waste, I estimate that the four oldest reactors will have difficulties to continue," a Green Party spokesperson told the news media. "They will no longer be profitable."

Social Democrat leader Stefan Lofven admitted that nuclear power would be needed for the foreseeable future, but claimed that the country's energy future lies with renewables.

"Sweden has very good potential to expand renewable energy through our good access to water, wind and forests," he explained. "In time, Sweden will have an energy system with 100% renewable energy."

World Nuclear Association Director General Agneta Rising said the Swedish government's energy policy was "out of tune with public opinion."

"The coalition policy would put additional charges on existing [nuclear] stations, aimed at forcing at least two to close in the near term," Rising said. "The new policy would also stop work aimed at developing new nuclear plants on existing reactor sites. This seems to be very bad situation for Sweden, because there is strong support for using nuclear power in the country, and the electricity system is working very well. Sweden has an electricity system that is almost optimal when you consider that around 40% comes from nuclear power and almost 50% from hydro power. It is a clean, competitive and stable electricity system. Closing operating reactors will be costly for the Swedish system and will result in less investment resources for renewables. Sweden has one of the best records in the world on CO2 emissions per capita."

The government also has recommended that state-owned energy giant Vattenfall AB (Stockholm, Sweden) should increase its share in renewable energy and stop its studies into future nuclear power build projects.

Last year, Vattenfall announced plans to spend billions of euros on upgrading its fleet of seven nuclear reactors in Sweden. It intends to extend the operational lives of five of the reactors to up to 60 years, and the other two to 50 years. The upgrades would cost an estimated 1.85 billion euros ($2.4 billion). For additional information, see May 30, 2013, article - Vattenfall to Upgrade Swedish Nuclear Plants.

In May 2011, just months after the nuclear accident at the Fukushima plant in Japan, Germany announced a surprise reversal in its nuclear policy. Instead of extending the lives of its older nuclear plants, it opted to get rid of nuclear power altogether, with the goal of shutting all of its 17 reactors before 2022. For additional information, see May 30, 2011, article - Germany Votes to Dump Nuclear Power.

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