Sweden will change legislation to allow the construction of new nuclear reactors to meet growing demand for electricity, the country’s government has announced.
Swedish Environment Minister Romina Pourmokhtari argued on Wednesday that the country needs to “double electricity production” to succeed in the energy transition and “nuclear power will have to account for a large part of this increase.”
For that, Sweden needs the equivalent of 10 new conventional nuclear reactors by 2045, according to estimates by the right-wing government, which is preparing to undertake a legislative reform to eliminate the current limit of 10 authorized reactors in the country.
The reform will be debated in Parliament next autumn. Currently, Sweden has six reactors in operation, in three nuclear power plants, put into operation between 1975 and 1985.
Several other reactors were closed after 1999, following a non-binding referendum held in 1980, which ruled in favor of phasing out nuclear power.
However, Sweden is struggling to find alternative energy sources to replace nuclear power, but renewable sources still do not meet their needs.
Nuclear energy currently represents 30% of the electricity consumed in the country.
Source: TSF
