STOCKHOLM, March 20 (Reuters) - Swedish nuclear firm Blykalla aims to initiate a permitting process this year to build six small modular reactors outside the Swedish town Gavle that would generate
Blykalla to Start Permitting for Six Small Modular Nuclear Reactors Near Gavle
Swedish Nuclear Expansion Plans and Energy Policy
Project Overview and Location
STOCKHOLM, March 20 (Reuters) - Swedish nuclear firm Blykalla aims to initiate a permitting process this year to build six small modular reactors outside the Swedish town Gavle that would generate around 300 megawatts of energy, the company said.
Production at the park in Norrsundet, some 25 km (16 miles) north of Gavle, would correspond to the electricity demand of around 150,000 households, a large-scale industrial operation, or a medium-sized data center, Blykalla said.
The facility could be operational in the first half of the 2030s, it added.
Site Selection and Rationale
"The decision to move forward in Norrsundet is based both on the site's favorable conditions and the growing need for stable, fossil-free electricity to enable industrial development," Blykalla CEO Jakob Stedman said in a statement.
Regulatory and Approval Process
The project would need approval from several authorities, including the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority, the Land and Environment Court, the Swedish government, and Gavle municipality.
Context: European and Swedish Energy Policy
European Perspective on Small Modular Reactors
European policymakers have embraced small modular reactors as a way to quickly and cheaply meet climate targets and boost energy security, a key issue for the region following the disruption to energy flows from war in Ukraine and the Middle East.
Sweden's Nuclear and Energy Strategy
Sweden's right-of-centre government wants the equivalent of around 10 new full-size reactors by 2045 to complement the six now in operation.
Incentives and Policy Measures
It has offered cheap loans and price guarantees to developers for 2,500 MW of new capacity. It has cut subsidies for offshore wind and rejected applications for sites off the Baltic coast.
Current Electricity Generation Mix
Sweden's electricity generation is already essentially fossil-free, with around 40% coming from hydroelectric power, 29% from nuclear, 21% from wind, 8% from thermal power and 2% from solar.
(Reporting by Johan Ahlander; Editing by Jan Harvey)
