Vattenfall has already made contact with potential reactor technology suppliers as it seeks to begin commercial operation of a first small modular reactor at the Ringhals nuclear power station in Sweden in the early 2030s.

The state-owned power company said it was taking “a number of important steps towards deployment. “Contact has begun with potential suppliers of SMR technology and field studies and ground surveys around Ringhals will begin shortly,” it said.

A preliminary feasibility study will investigate the commercial, legal and technical conditions for building at least two new SMRs at Ringhals.

“We already have a dialogue with several potential technology suppliers and will proceed later this year with one or more of them to get concrete proposals for reactors,” Desirée Comstedt, business development manager for nuclear power at Vattenfall, said.