Sweden to start construction of new nuclear reactor by 2026

The ruling right-wing coalition, supported by the far-right, says it wants to produce nuclear energy "massively" in Sweden but has not yet made a decision on the type of reactor to build.

Stockholm intends to initially start construction of the equivalent of two reactors by 2035, followed by a "massive expansion" by 2045.

Swedish state-owned Vattenfall has launched a feasibility study for the construction of at least two small modular reactors (SMRs) in Ringhals in southwest Sweden.

Vattenfall aims to have its first reactor operational in the first half of the 2030s. It has started acquiring land but has not applied for an environmental permit.

Asked by the daily Dagens Nyheter whether construction would start before the next parliamentary elections, Mr Kristersson replied: "Yes, it will."

"The decisions needed to build a new nuclear power plant will have been taken. And we hope that they will be accompanied by a first shovel in the ground," he added. "If we want to succeed in electrification, we must double electricity production, and nuclear energy is an integral part of that," he added.

SMRs are mini modular reactors that are much smaller than conventional power plants.

Their construction remains relatively simple and allows them to be mass-produced in factories and then transported to their place of operation.

In total, more than 80 projects have been identified worldwide, at varying stages of maturity, but for the time being, only Russia (two SMRs embarked on a barge) and China (also two units) have announced that they have put them into service, according to the 2023 report on the state of the nuclear industry produced by independent experts.

Sweden currently operates six nuclear reactors in three different power plants, which generate 30% of its electricity.