Carl Berglöf has already warned that legislation will be needed to reestablish supply chains and develop skills
Sweden has appointed a national nuclear power coordinator as part of its efforts to speed up the expansion of new nuclear power and introduce measures needed for the construction of up to 10 new reactors
Energy and industry minister Ebba Busch has announced the appointment of Carl Berglöf, who will support the government in its work to deploy new nuclear power plants.
Berglöf, who is secretary general of the Swedish Atomic Forum (Safo) told NucNet in an interview recently that the Swedish government’s plans for up to 10 new nuclear plants reflect its recognition of the crucial role reactors can play in achieving energy security and climate targets.
But he warned that after decades without any new build, legislation will be needed to reestablish supply chains and develop skills.
He said addressing the challenge of an ambitious new-build programme will also need legislation on financing mechanisms and collaboration between the government and the private sector to share the risks inherent in major infrastructure projects such as nuclear plants.
The government said decisions need to be made on how the expansion can be carried out at the pace needed to meet a growing need for electricity and a robust and resilient energy supply.
Massive Build-Out Planned By 2045
“The coordinator will be a point of contact for stakeholders and actors in the area and will cooperate with them in order to increase the rate of establishment of new reactors,” the government said.
The government has said it is aiming to build the equivalent of two new conventional nuclear reactors by 2035 to meet rising demand for clean power from industry and transport and was prepared to take on some of the costs.
By 2045 the government wants to have the equivalent of 10 new reactors, some of which are likely to be small modular reactors (SMRs), Busch said.
According to Busch, the government is planning a “massive build out” of new nuclear power by 2045.
In a recent report, the Swedish National Audit Office warned of potential obstacles to new capacity, saying the government and the state authorities have not implemented efficient measures for the electricity system to develop in line with the overall goal of energy policy. “Delayed action, short-termism and poor impact analyses are the biggest shortcomings,” the report said
One of the issues Sweden faces is finding the right mix of large-scale nuclear power plants and SMRs, Berglöf said. He said the two technologies are not in competition but would complement each other.
PM Says New Nuclear Is Key Goal
Prime minister Ulf Kristersson has made expanding nuclear power generation a key goal for his right-wing government, seeking to reverse a process of gradual closures of several reactors in the past couple of decades that has left the country relying more heavily on renewable but sometimes less predictable energy.
He announced last year that Sweden is preparing legislation to allow the construction of more nuclear power stations.
In December Sweden’s parliament approved a bill allowing more commercial nuclear power reactors to be built than previously planned, scrapping the previous cap of 10.
The new laws will also allow construction of nuclear reactors at sites other than existing ones.
Sweden’s six existing nuclear plants are at Ringhals, Forsmark and Oskarshamn. According to International Atomic Energy Agency data, nuclear energy provided about a third of the country’s electricity generation in 2021.
Swedes have debated nuclear power for decades, but the energy source has garnered popular support recently amid the Ukraine war and concerns over energy prices and energy security.
