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Nuclear Energy Profile - Sweden2008 Overview of the Country’s Reactor and Waste Storage Facilities
In recent years, Sweden has changed its stance on nuclear power. The operational lives of many existing reactors has been extended amid plans to build new facilities.
Sweden currently operates ten nuclear reactors generating almost half the country's electricity. In 2004, nuclear power accounted for 51% of electrical production, but the 2005 closure of the Barseback-2 reactor lowered total atomic output. The remaining reactors have a total capacity of 9,016 MWe. Currently Operating Nuclear Reactors
The Forsmark and Ringhals facilities are operated by Vattenfall AB, which also has an ownership share of three reactors in Germany. Forsmark is most famous as being the facility that first detected increased radiation levels due to the 1986 accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. The Oskarshamn units are operated by the Sydkraft-led consortium OKG AB. Following the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, Sweden considered a complete phase-out of nuclear power. Opinions have now changed, and the operational lifetime of most of the country’s operating reactors has recently been extended to 40 years each. Barseback ClosureThe Barseback nuclear power plant had two reactors, commissioned in 1975 and 1977. Located 20 kilometers from Copenhagen, Denmark, the Danish government pushed for the facility’s closure during its entire lifetime. Early 1997, an agreement was finally reached between three political parties to close both Barseback units. As a result, Unit 1 closed in 1999 and Unit 2 in 2005. Nuclear Facility ExpansionTo replace the 1,200 MWe production capacity of the Barseback facility, the Swedish government is planning to expand capacity at the remaining three facilities. An increase of approximately 400 MWe capacity is expected between 2006 and 2011 at the Ringhals facility. The Forsmark complex expects to increase its capacity between 2008-2010. The Oskarshamn-3 reactor has been approved for a 250 MWe upgrade as well as other improvements that will extend the reactor's life to 60 years. In early 2008, the Liberal Party called for the construction of four new reactors at existing facilities to serve as replacements for those that will be retired in the 2020's. Waste ManagementSvensk Karnbranslehantering AB, the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB), is responsible for the management and disposal of radioactive wastes. Some low-level waste is disposed at the reactor sites, while the remainder is incinerated at the Studsvik research facility. A dedicated ship is used to move fuel and waste from the power plants to storage sites or repositories. Since 1988, low and intermediate-level wastes have been stored at a final underground repository (SFR) located near the Forsmark nuclear plant. This facility has a total capacity of 63,000 cubic meters and receives approximately 1,000 cubic meters of waste per year. A final high-level waste repository has been proposed for this same site. The CLAB interim repository for spent fuel has been operating since 1985. Originally constructed for a capacity of 5,000 tons, the repository has been expanded to 8,000 tons. This increased capacity allows for the processing of used fuel from all currently operating reactors. The used fuel is stored under water in an underground rock cavern for 40-50 years, after which it will be enclosed in copper and stainless steel canisters for final storage in a 500 meter deep granite repository. At the end of 2007, CLAB has stored approximately 4,500 tons of used fuel. Regulation and SafetyThe Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate (SKI) was setup in the 1960’s and is responsible for licensing, regulation and supervision of the country’s nuclear facilities. In 2008, SKI merged with the Swedish Radiation Protection Authority (SSI) into a single oversight agency. References Country Profiles: Sweden. Nuclear Energy Agency. March 15, 2006. Nuclear Energy in Sweden. World Nuclear Association. June 2008. "Sweden 2003 Nuclear Power Profile." International Atomic Energy Agency. 2003. Vattenfall - Forsmark Official Website. Vattenfall - Ringhals Official Website.
The copyright of the article Nuclear Energy Profile - Sweden in Sweden is owned by Mark Resnicoff. Permission to republish Nuclear Energy Profile - Sweden in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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