The company Logo hangs at the entrance of the combined heat and power plant, owned by Vattenfall GmbH during its final construction phase before being fully operational in Berlin, Germany June 30, 2022.
Vattenfall will order either five GE Vernova BWRX-300 reactors or three Rolls-Royce SMRs, generating 1,500 MW. Rolls-Royce stated: “Each of our SMRs would generate enough electricity to power a million homes for more than 60 years.” Vattenfall is also considering 1,000 MW to replace decommissioned Ringhals reactors.
Sweden, which voted in 1980 to phase out nuclear power, now targets 2,500 MW by 2035, with construction starting before the September 2026 election. Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch said near Ringhals: “It’s not a question now of whether we will build more nuclear power but how fast and how much.” The government seeks 10 full-size reactors by 2045.
Electricity demand is projected to double to 300 terawatt-hours in 20 years, driven by green steel, biofuels, and hydrogen production. A 2024 white paper estimated state loans of 300-600 billion crowns ($31-63 billion) for nuclear projects. Sweden’s fossil-free energy mix includes hydropower (40%), nuclear (30%), and wind (20%), with six reactors from the 1970s and 1980s.
The Ringhals project leverages advanced SMR technology for scalability and efficiency, supporting Sweden’s clean energy leadership and economic growth through job creation.
