Last fall, the government launched the proposal for free access to nuclear power along the coasts for the first time. Now the Tidö parties, the government and the Sweden Democrats are moving forward with an ambitious proposal.
It's a new start, but we have not reached the finish line yet, says Energy Minister Ebba Busch (KD) about the government's nuclear power initiatives.
Specifically, the legislative council's referral means that the ban on nuclear power plants should be removed along the entire Swedish coastline - from the Norwegian border, around Öland and Gotland, to Haparanda.
We do not think that the coast should be excluded. On the contrary, we know that nuclear power needs water for cooling, says Minister of Climate and Environment Romina Pourmokhtari (L).
Faces immediate criticism
In addition, those who want to build new reactors should receive earlier approval, in order to “find out whether a technical solution meets the necessary requirements.” The testing will thus become more predictable, which increases the willingness to invest, according to Pourmokhtari.
New and established players should see Sweden as a country for nuclear power.
But the municipal veto will remain, according to the minister. And a customary review will be carried out according to the Environmental Code and the Nuclear Technology Act.
However, the opposition parties, the Center Party and the Green Party, are sharply critical and believe that it would be "deeply irresponsible", even "insane", to have new reactors built in new locations in Sweden's archipelagos.
“We are cleaning up”
In the legislative council's report, the government also proposes changes that will make it possible to restart decommissioned nuclear reactors. However, it is unlikely that any of the six reactors that have been shut down in Sweden would be brought back to life.
This should be seen more as us cleaning up the general obstacles that have been built up in the legislation, says Minister of Financial Markets Niklas Wykman (M).
At the same time, he announces that negotiations with the newly formed company Videberg Kraft have begun regarding new reactors on the Värö peninsula near Ringhals. A secretariat at the Ministry of Finance is handling the negotiations on behalf of the state.
"This should be as cheap as possible for taxpayers. There are many things that need to be sorted out," says Wykman.
The final result must then be tested and approved by the EU. There is no date for when the negotiations will be completed.
