sweden: October 16, 2009

Nuclear power is an integral part of today’s energy production.  Public opinion in Sweden has been much tested on the nuclear power issue.  Advocates of nuclear power claim that there are many advantages to this type of power production.  These include minimal environmental impact, little to no greenhouse gas emissions, a stable source of electricity production with low operating costs, sustainable fuel supply, and electricity with a very high utilization factor leading to a low cost per kWh.  Critics, however, argue that nuclear power production requires high investment costs, comprehensive safety management and a long-term management of radioactive waste.

In 1980, a referendum was passed in Sweden dictating that nuclear power generation be phased out by 2010.  Since then, however, public opinion has steadily increased in favor of nuclear energy and the Swedish government recently announced an agreement allowing for the replacement of existing reactors, effectively eliminating the 1980 phase-out policy.  The decision makes Sweden the latest country in Europe to do a nuclear reversal.

Sweden has ten operational nuclear reactors, which account for about half of all electricity consumed in the country.  The total installed capacity for the nuclear reactors is 8,994 MW and the current output is 4,677 MW.  The low ratio between capacity and output is due mainly to safety issues and the plants being offline due to planned maintenance.  The frequent shut downs have raised concerns among emboldening critics of the government’s decision to reverse its phase out decision.  Some, however, have charged the reason for the shut downs are more nefarious alleging that by taking these plants off line the price of electricity increases leading to more supplier profit.  All the nuclear reactors are owned by the three largest energy companies operating in Sweden – Vattenfall, EON and Fortum.

No matter the reasons for the frequent shut downs of these plants, it is obvious to all that nuclear power is here to stay, at least for the moment, in Sweden.