State utility Vattenfall will investigate the possibility to extend the lifetime of the Ringhals-3 and -4 nuclear power plants, which are scheduled to be shut down in 2040, Anna Borg, the company’s chief executive officer, told publicly funded Sveriges Radio.

“They could operate for another few decades compared to what has been planned and invested today”, Ms Borg told the Studio One programme.

She said the Ringhals units could potentially operate until 2060. Ringhals-3 began commercial operation in 1981 and Ringhals-4 in 1983, so keeping them online to 2060 would mean operating them for about 80 years. Both plants are pressurised water reactor units.