Swedish energy giant Vattenfall announced Wednesday that it has shortlisted two companies, one American and one British, for the construction of small modular reactors (SMRs) at the Ringhals nuclear power plant in southwestern Sweden.
3 to 5 SMRs in Designated Zone
Out of six potential suppliers, the state-owned group has selected British company Rolls-Royce SMR and American company GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy.
In November 2023, the government stated its intention to “massively” produce nuclear energy to decarbonize its economy and meet the growing demand for electricity.
Stockholm intends to initially launch the construction of the equivalent of two reactors by 2035, followed by a “massive expansion” by 2045.
“The next steps will be to analyze in detail the proposals made by the two suppliers (…) and then to develop together a schedule” for the construction of small nuclear reactors on the Värö peninsula, said Desirée Comstedt, in charge of nuclear energy at Vattenfall, in a statement.
According to the group, the area can accommodate three to five SMRs.
Conventional Nuclear Reactors Also Considered
Furthermore, Vattenfall continues to study the possibility of building conventional nuclear reactors at Ringhals. French company EDF, South Korean company KHNP, and American company Westinghouse are being considered for this project.
The Swedish energy group maintains its ambition to have a first reactor operational in the first half of the 2030s.
SMRs are nuclear reactors much smaller than conventional plants. Their simple construction allows for mass production in factories and easy transportation to operating sites.
Sweden currently operates six nuclear reactors in three different plants, commissioned during the decade 1975-1985.