If you drive through Sweden, it is not far between the wind power masts. But despite the massive development of wind power, it also happens in Sweden that the wind does not blow. It is then that electricity prices skyrocket. – It is easy to hide behind the war in Ukraine and the price of natural gas, but in Sweden we miss so much electricity that we have become completely dependent on the transmission capacity from home and abroad, says Gert Lyngsjø. The nuclear power plant at Barsebäck in southern Sweden was completely shut down in 2005. Today, half of Swedes support the development of more nuclear power. Photo: Snorre Tønset / news In the 1990s he was director of the Barsebäck nuclear power plant a few miles north of Malmö. At one point, the power plant produced more than half of all electricity in southern Sweden. In 2005 it was closed for good, a decision the former director does not like. Lyngsjø is of the opinion that you cannot base an entire energy system solely on renewable sources such as solar and wind power. – Today’s electricity prices are the consequences of an energy policy that is based on wishful thinking. The dream has been that solar and wind will be able to replace nuclear power, says the former director. An energy system must have more stable energy sources than what the sun and wind can supply, says former director of the decommissioned Barsebäck nuclear power plant, Gert Lyngsjø. Photo: Snorre Tønset / news – Better than imported coal power Sweden, like Norway, is divided into several different power zones with separate prices for each area. Southern Sweden in particular has noticed the high electricity prices. In Falkenberg on Sweden’s west coast, farmer Ivar Nilsson runs his organic vegetable farm. Unfortunately for him, he is exactly on the “wrong side” of the current zone. – It is sad that we have not been able to turn around. The energy policy has been changed too quickly and in the wrong direction, says the organic farmer. – The issue of nuclear power is difficult, but it is in any case better than importing coal power, says organic farmer Ivar Nilsson. Photo: Snorre Tønset/news On the farm, large amounts of electricity are used to water, wash and cool the vegetables he produces. With the new electricity prices, he himself has calculated that he pays 40 øre more for every kilo of cabbage he produces. – Do you look forward to a future where we become more dependent on nuclear power? – Not completely. But it is at least better than importing power produced from coal and natural gas, he says. It is not far between the windmills in Falkenberg on Sweden’s west coast. Photo: Snorre Tønset / Snorre Tønset7NRK Nuclear power a topic before the election Sweden is the only Scandinavian country that produces energy from nuclear power. Altogether, there are six active nuclear reactors which account for around 30 per cent of the country’s electricity. Like Germany, Sweden has been adamant that nuclear power should be phased out over time, and according to the plan, the last Swedish nuclear power plants will be turned off around 2040. But now more Swedes see the possibilities for the country to expand more, and the support for Swedish nuclear power has increased, according to a survey carried out by SIFO. About half of Swedes now support the development of more nuclear power. Just over a month before the Swedish election, electricity prices have made energy and nuclear power important issues of battle. – The electricity prices have become part of an already conflict-filled discussion about energy, in which nuclear power takes part, says political editor in the local newspaper Hallands Nyheter, Maria Haldesten. Political editor in Hallands Nyheter, Maria Haldesten, says that nuclear power’s neighbors are often more positive. Photo: Snorre Tønset/news Among the political parties, now only the Green Party and the Left Party want the phasing-out plans to remain the same. – Expanding nuclear power involves high electricity prices and it takes an incredibly long time. If we want to lower electricity prices quickly, wind power will solve that problem, says spokesperson for the Green Party, Märta Stenevi to SVT. Sympathy for nuclear power is not always great among the nearest neighbours. Nevertheless, there are also many who have a positive view and get to enjoy the benefits of a large employer, editor Haldesten can tell. Her newspaper covers the area where the Ringhals nuclear power plant is located. – Some see nuclear power as the salvation, while others warn that nuclear power is not a sustainable energy source with any future in Sweden, she says. There are a total of six active nuclear power reactors spread across three power plants in Sweden today. The Barsebäck power plant was completely shut down in 2005. Gets questions every day Two of the six remaining active reactors are located at the Ringhals plant on Sweden’s west coast. At one point, the power plant produced a quarter of all electricity in Sweden, but that was before two of the reactors were decommissioned in 2019 and 2020 respectively. She has no doubt whether the closure has had an impact on Swedish electricity prices. – An enormous amount of electricity was produced here. It is clear that it had an impact on electricity prices, not least on stability, says press manager at the state-owned company Vattenfall, Anna Collin. The energy company Vattenfall is currently conducting studies to look at the possibilities of building new reactors at Ringhals, says Vattenfall’s press manager, Anna Collin. Photo: Snorre Tønset/news Turning on the decommissioned reactors is not relevant. The other two, on the other hand, will produce electricity for another two decades, if the closure plans are not changed. These two alone are responsible for 13 percent of electricity production in the country. – Every day we get questions about whether we can open the old reactors again. Support for Swedish nuclear power has never been higher, says press manager at the state energy company Vattenfall, Anna Collin.
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Sees electricity prices behind increased support for more nuclear power in Sweden – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
