23 Apr (NucNet): The Swedish arm of Germany’s E.ON utility is considering proposals to build a replacement reactor unit at the Oskarshamn nuclear power plant on Sweden’s east coast.
The chief executive officer of E.ON Sweden Per Lindell said the company is considering the possibility of replacing the Oskarshamn-1 reactor unit.
Mr Lindell made the announcement during a visit to the plant on 21 April 2009. He added that it might be possible to submit an application to build the replacement unit after September 2010, following parliamentary elections.
The application would seek permission to replace the 467-megawatt boiling water reactor with a unit of up to four times the installed electric generating capacity. The estimated cost of the project would be between 4 and 6 billion euro (5 to 8 billion US dollars).
E.ON Sweden is one of Scandinavia's largest energy companies. It is also the parent company of OKG, which operates the three-unit Oskarshamn nuclear power plant. Oskarshamn-1, Sweden’s first commercial reactor unit, was first connected to the grid in August 1971.
Proposals from Sweden’s coalition government, expected to be ratified by parliament before this summer’s recess, would overturn a national ban and allow new reactor units to be built to replace old units.
>>Related reports in the NucNet database (available to subscribers)
Oskarshamn-1 to Undergo Modernisation (News No. 312, 22 October 2001)
E.ON And Areva To Cooperate On New Nuclear Projects (News in Brief No. 50, 23 April 2008)
Swedish Energy Policy Deal Embraces Proposals For New Nuclear (Feature No. 2, 5 February 2009)
