Nuclear revival and lower climate ambitions in Sweden

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson during a press conference at COP27 Monday, November 7, 2022, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.

AP - Thomas Hartwell

Text by: RFI Follow

3 mins

The new right-wing government in power for a few weeks promises the construction of new nuclear reactors to meet the growing demand for electricity.

For this country which had decided on the end of the atom by referendum in 1980, it is a major political and strategic reversal.

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with our correspondent in Stockholm

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Nuclear power still represents a third of electricity production in Sweden, even though the country has closed six out of 12 plants in a few decades.

In the government's program, it is indicated that the energy company Vattenfall, the Swedish EDF, must "

" to meet the sharply rising electricity needs, estimated at 300 Terawatt-hours in 2045. , double today.

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Small modular reactors to replace power plants

For that, it will be necessary to change the law because, currently, it is not possible to build in other sites than those of the six remaining power stations.

Regulations, building permit procedures in particular, will be greatly facilitated.

Sweden built its last power plant 37 years ago.

She no longer has the necessary skills.

It will therefore be necessary either to train engineers – and this is not done in a snap – or to call on foreign labour, whether American, French or South Korean.

Sweden has in mind the Finnish fiasco of

this reactor built by the Siemens-Areva consortium, overpowered since on its own, it must cover 14% of Finnish consumption, but which took 13 years of delay.

The budget therefore exploded.

In addition, for the umpteenth time, it is shut down even though it was put into service a few weeks ago.

Sweden is therefore wary of conventional reactors.

Vattenfall has announced that it is launching a study which should last a year to assess the interest of SMRs, small modular reactors, simpler and faster to build, but much less powerful.

Downgraded ambitions

Considered to be at the forefront of environmental issues, Sweden is participating in COP27 this year with reduced climate ambitions.

The new right-wing government has even abolished the Ministry of the Environment, which has become a sub-entity of the Ministry of Energy, a sign that Sweden is turning away from a historical part of its policy.

It was Sweden which was the first, in 1967, to offer to host a United Nations international conference on the climate (

) and which was also the first country to adopt a law on the protection of nature.

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The Swedish Ministry of the Environment had existed since 1987, and the objective of carbon neutrality was targeted by 2045. This seems compromised with the measures provided for in the budget which will be presented on November 8, 2022 to Parliament.

It provides for lower energy prices, tax deductions for car users, tax cuts on diesel used by agricultural and forestry machinery, but also the reduction of the minimum amount of biofuel in the mix. diesel: a measure that alone will increase Sweden's greenhouse gas emissions by more than 10% according to the Swedish Environment Agency.

These campaign promises are popular of course since they promote purchasing power, but harmful for the environment and for public finances: they will amputate the coffers of the Swedish State by 860 million euros.

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