Nuclear power in Sweden
The
Sweden formerly had a nuclear phase-out policy, aiming to end nuclear power generation in Sweden by 2010. On 5 February 2009, the Government of Sweden announced an agreement allowing for the replacement of existing reactors, effectively ending the phase-out policy.[2]
In June 2023, the new
History
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Early history
Sweden began research into nuclear energy in 1947 with the establishment of the Atomic Energy Company,
On 1 May 1969, the prototype nuclear
R1, R3, and particularly the never finished R4 project at
Six
Plans for nuclear phase-out
After the Three Mile Island accident in 1979, there was a national referendum in Sweden about the future of nuclear power. As a result of this, the Riksdag decided in 1980 that no further nuclear power plants should be built, and that a nuclear power phase-out should be completed by 2010. Some observers have condemned the referendum as flawed because people could only vote "NO to nuclear", although three options were basically a harder or a softer "NO".[9][10]
After the 1986
During the late 1990s a unique capacity tax on nuclear power (effektskatten) was introduced. It was initially set at 5514 SEK per
In 1997 the
In August 2006 three of Sweden's ten nuclear reactors were shut down due to safety concerns following an incident at Forsmark Nuclear Power Plant, in which two out of four emergency power generators failed causing a power shortage. It was classified as a grade 2 incident in the INES scale, due to the degradation of defence-in-depth.
In 2006 the
Phase-out abandoned
On 17 June 2010, the Riksdag adopted a decision allowing the replacement of the existing reactors with new nuclear reactors, starting from 1 January 2011.[16]
In June 2016, the coalition government decided to abolish the nuclear power output tax in 2019 and to successively replace the existing reactors with new ones.[17] In October 2022, the new Swedish governing decided to have Ringhals 1 and 2 reactors restarted and the construction of further reactors examined.[18]
Nuclear revival
In June 2023, the new
In November 2023, more details about the new nuclear policy, which is to enter into force on 1 January 2024, were revealed. The current 10 reactor cap will be dropped, permitting process will be shortened and new nuclear reactors will be allowed also on new sites and not just existing ones. A target of 2500MWe of nuclear power by 2035 was announced, as electricity consumption is expected to rise to 300TWh by 2045.[21]
List of electricity producing nuclear reactors
Plant name |
Unit No. |
Type | Model | Status | Capacity (MW) |
Begin building |
Commercial operation |
Closed | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ågesta | 1 | PHWR |
R3 | Shut down/in decommissioning | 10 | 1 Dec 1957 | 1 May 1964 | 2 Jun 1974 | [a] |
Barsebäck |
1 | BWR | ASEA-II | Shut down/in decommissioning | 600 | 1 Feb 1971 | 1 Jul 1975 | 30 Nov 1999 | [b] |
2 | BWR | ASEA-II | Shut down/in decommissioning | 600 | 1 Jan 1973 | 1 Jul 1977 | 31 May 2005 | [c] | |
Forsmark | 1 | BWR | ASEA-III, BWR-2500 | Operational | 986 | 1 Jun 1973 | 10 Dec 1980 | [d] | |
2 | BWR | ASEA-III, BWR-2500 | Operational | 1116 | 1 Jan 1975 | 7 Jul 1981 | [e] | ||
3 | BWR | ASEA-IV, BWR-3000 | Operational | 1167 | 1 Jan 1979 | 18 Aug 1985 | [f] | ||
Oskarshamn | 1 | BWR | ASEA-I | Shut down/in decommissioning | 473 | 1 Aug 1966 | 6 Feb 1972 | 19 Jun 2017 | [g] |
2 | BWR | ASEA-II | Shut down/in decommissioning | 638 | 1 Sep 1969 | 1 Jan 1975 | 22 Dec 2016 | [h] | |
3 | BWR | ASEA-IV, BWR-3000 | Operational | 1450 | 1 May 1980 | 15 Aug 1985 | [i] | ||
Marviken | 1 | BHWR | R4 | Unfinished | 196 | 1 Apr 1965 | 27 May 1970 | [j] | |
Ringhals | 1 | BWR | ASEA-I | Shut down/in decommissioning | 881 | 1 Feb 1969 | 1 Jan 1976 | 31 Dec 2020 | [k] |
2 | PWR | WH 3-loops | Shut down/in decommissioning | 904 | 1 Oct 1970 | 1 May 1975 | 30 Dec 2019 | [l] | |
3 | PWR | WH 3-loops | Operational | 1062 | 1 Sep 1972 | 9 Sep 1981 | [m] | ||
4 | PWR | WH 3-loops | Operational | 1104 | 1 Nov 1973 | 21 Nov 1983 | [n] |
Decommissioned reactors
The decommissioned nuclear reactors of Sweden are:
- R1 reactor, dismantled in 1970
- R2 reactor, decommissioned in 2005
- R2-0 reactor, decommissioned in 2005
- FR-0 reactor, dismantled after 1971
- Ågesta Nuclear Plant R3, decommissioned 1974, demolition planned 2020-2025
- R4 nuclear reactor, cancelled in 1970
- Barsebäck Nuclear Power Plant Reactor 1, decommissioned 1999, demolition planned 2020-2028
- Barsebäck Nuclear Power Plant Reactor 2, decommissioned 2005, demolition planned 2020-2028
- Oskarshamn Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1, decommissioned 2017, demolition planned 2020-2028
- Oskarshamn Nuclear Power Plant Unit 2, decommissioned 2016, demolition planned 2020-2028
- Ringhals Nuclear Power Plant R1, decommissioned 2020
- Ringhals Nuclear Power Plant R2, decommissioned 2019
Public opinion
The nuclear energy phase-out is controversial in Sweden. The energy production of the remaining nuclear power plants has been considerably increased in recent years to compensate for the Barsebäck shut-down.
In May 2005, a poll of residents living around Barsebäck found that 94% wanted it to stay. The subsequent leak of radioactive water from the nuclear waste store in Forsmark did not lead to a major change in public opinion.
Prior public support for nuclear power stood in contrast to the stances of the major political parties in Sweden, but after the polls in late 2019 the debate changed and the parties that want to build new nuclear power in Sweden (SD, M, KD, L ) put forth a demand to the leading government party, the Social Democrats to choose a path forward, otherwise they might break with the standing energy agreement and work to reform the policy towards nuclear power, outside of the influence of the minority government.[30]
Nuclear waste
Sweden has a well-developed nuclear waste management policy. Low-level waste is currently stored at the reactor sites or destroyed at
Anti-nuclear activists
In June 2010, Greenpeace
Photo gallery
-
The Barsebäck Nuclear Power Plant, which has been shut down
See also
Notes
- ^ The full reactor model name is R3/Adam[22]
- ^ The full reactor model name is ASEA-ATOM Gen II[23]
- ^ The full reactor model name is ASEA-ATOM Gen II[23]
- ^ The full reactor model name is ASEA-ATOM Gen III,[23] BWR-2500,[23] BWR 69[24]
- ^ The full reactor model name is ASEA-ATOM Gen III,[23] BWR-2500,[23] BWR 69[24]
- ^ The full reactor model name is ASEA-ATOM Gen IV,[23] BWR-3000,[23] BWR 75[24]
- ^ The full reactor model name is ASEA-ATOM Gen I[23]
- ^ The full reactor model name is ASEA-ATOM Gen II[23]
- ^ The full reactor model name is ASEA-ATOM Gen IV,[23] BWR-3000,[23] BWR 75[25]
- ^ The full reactor model name is R4/Eva. Construction date is approximate. Data are from Swedish Radiation Safety Authority.[22]
- ^ The full reactor model name is ASEA-ATOM Gen I.[23] Closed at midnight on New Year's Eve.[26]
- ^ The full reactor model name is Westinghouse 3-loops[23]
- ^ The full reactor model name is Westinghouse 3-loops[23]
- ^ The full reactor model name is Westinghouse 3-loops[23]
References
- ^ "PRIS - Country Details".
- ^ Borgenäs, Johan (November 11, 2009). "Sweden Reverses Nuclear Phase-out Policy". Nuclear Threat Initiative.
- ^ Florence Jones (2023-06-22). "Sweden adopts new fossil-free target, making way for nuclear". Power Technology. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
- ^ Simon Johnson (2023-06-20). "Swedish parliament passes new energy target, easing way for new nuclear power". Reuters. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
- ^ T. Jonter: Nuclear Weapon Research in Sweden. The Co-operation Between Civilian and Military Research, 1947-1972, SKI Report 02:18
- ^ Jonter ibid
- ^ The Flooding Incident at the Ågesta Pressurized Heavy Water Nuclear Power Plant (pdf)
- ^ "Neutral Sweden Quietly Keeps Nuclear Option Open", The Washington Post, 25 November 1994
- ^ Nils-Olov Jonsson and Carl Berglöf (2016). "Nuclear Power Plants in Sweden during the Last 40 Years". European Nuclear Society. Archived from the original on 2018-10-02. Retrieved 2018-10-01.
- ISBN 9780275964832.
- ^ "Bulletin 96-03: Potential Plugging of Emergency Core Cooling Suction Strainers by Debris in Boiling-".
- ^ "Nuclear Energy in Sweden - World Nuclear Association".
- ^ "Sweden strikes deal to continue nuclear power". The Local. 10 June 2016.
- ISBN 9781843767138.
- ^ Centre dumps nuclear deal Archived 2008-03-02 at the Wayback Machine, The Local, 30 May 2006
- ^ "New phase for Swedish nuclear". World Nuclear News. 18 June 2010. Retrieved 18 June 2010.
- ^ "Sweden abolishes nuclear tax". World Nuclear News. 2016-06-10. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
- ^ "New Swedish government seeks expansion of nuclear energy". World Nuclear News. 2022-10-17. Retrieved 2022-10-18.
- ^ Florence Jones (2023-06-22). "Sweden adopts new fossil-free target, making way for nuclear". Power Technology. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
- ^ Simon Johnson (2023-06-20). "Swedish parliament passes new energy target, easing way for new nuclear power". Reuters. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
- ^ "Sweden plans 'massive' expansion of nuclear energy". www.world-nuclear-news.org. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
- ^ a b "Marvikenreaktorn - ett industripolitiskt utvecklingsprojekt i otakt med tiden". The Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (in Swedish). 2007-03-31. Retrieved 12 Jan 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "IAEA Sweden reactors". IAEA. 2023-01-11. Retrieved 12 Jan 2023.
- ^ a b c "Forsmarks reaktorer i siffror" (PDF). Vattenfall (in Swedish). Apr 2016. Retrieved 12 Jan 2023.
- ^ "MILSTOLPAR I VÅR HISTORIA". Westinghouse (in Swedish). Retrieved 12 Jan 2023.
- ^ "Ringhals 1 inne på slutspurten". SVT (in Swedish). 26 Oct 2020. Retrieved 29 Dec 2020.
- ^ Vindkraftverk möter största motståndet i Skåne Archived 2005-12-26 at the Wayback Machine, Sydsvenskan, 15 August 2005
- ^ Swedes oppose new nuclear power: poll, The Local, 19 March 2011
- ^ Rekordfå är emot kärnkraft i Sverige, NyTeknik, 22 November 2019
- ^ Tar strid för mer kärnkraft – kräver att S väljer väg, Aftonbladet, 29 October 2019
- ^ "Nuclear Energy in Sweden". World Nuclear Association. April 2010. Retrieved 20 June 2010.
- ^ "The antis attack!". Nuclear Engineering International. 5 April 2013.
Further reading
- William D. Nordhaus, The Swedish Nuclear Dilemma — Energy and the Environment, 1997 Hardcover, ISBN 0-915707-84-5.
- Arne Kaijser / Jan-Henrik Meyer, “The World's Worst Located Nuclear Power Plant”: Danish and Swedish perspectives on the Swedish nuclear power plant Barsebäck. Journal for the History of Environment and Society 3 (2018): 71-105. Full Text
- Arne Kaijser, Sweden. Short Country Report (History of Nuclear Energy and Society Project) Update 2018. http://www.honest2020.eu/sites/default/files/deliverables_24/SW.pdf.
External links
- "Nuclear Power in Sweden". Country Briefings. World Nuclear Association (WNA). January 2009. Retrieved 18 April 2009.
- News
- 3 August 2006, BBC: Swedes shut down some nuclear reactors following testing failures