As late as December, Energy Minister Ebba Busch repeated the claim that it would be signed agreement on the construction of new nuclear power before the 2026 election. Previously, both Ulf Kristersson and the climate minister have decided on “a first spade tag” or construction start before the next election.
But that schedule does not, according to the Director General of the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority.
-It will-in favorable cases-be about 2-3 years before we can give permission. Then the government will make a final decision, says Michael Knochenhauer.
Building reactors takes a long time
The time parties have fulfilled several election promises on legislative changes to facilitate nuclear power. But the schedule for new reactors looks difficult to hold, as the construction itself is expected to take 8-10 years, according to both Vattenfall and the government’s nuclear power coordinator.
There is yet no bill on funding, even less parliamentary decision. Something that Vattenfall thinks is a prerequisite for an application.
And although this will be clear this year, the permit of the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority cannot be completed until a good bit into 2027 – at best. So no shovel before the election. Thus, it will not be today’s government – but the next that may be red -green – which should finally say yes or no to the construction of new reactors.
Long -term promise also risks cracking
The greater promise from the government is about the corresponding two new nuclear reactors by 2035. And it also risks cracking if a first building is not running until 2027/28.
The Radiation Safety Authority has received extra money to build up the ability to grant a permit. And the Director General confirms that you do not yet have all the expertise that will be required.
– We have been holding more competence for permit processes for two years and is building. We are ready today, but we will be even more ready in a year. We need to recruit even more specialists, says Michael Knochenhauer.
Ebba Busch, when we meet her, does not want to feel the government’s previous commitments.
Hear her answer in the video above.
Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson (M) says it will be a first shovel for new nuclear power before the 2026 election at a moderate conference, according to TT, DN and Svenska Dagbladet. The Minister of Civil Defense Carl-Oskar Bohlin also says this.
Climate Minister Romina Pourmokhtari says at a press conference in August 2023 that “a first shovel will be taken before the election”.
Ulf Kristersson participates in a long interview with DN in September 2024, halfway into the term of office. He gets the question: “Will it have started to build a new reactor before the next election?” Kristersson answers:
– Yes it will.
SVT met the government’s coordinator Carl Berglöf in 2023, when he mentioned that the schedule for two reactors by 2035 was “realistic but challenging”.
His schedule was based on the application to build by 2025, that permission from the Radiation Safety Authority would take “at least one year” and have to be completed by 2026, with construction start afterwards.
Ebba Busch got in SVT’s Agenda December 15, 2024 The question of whether the plan is to have an agreement clear with a supplier on the construction of a new nuclear power plant before the 2026 election. The answer was a short “yes”.
The commitments that by 2035 have new nuclear power in place corresponding to two major reactors (2,500 MW) have been repeated by many government ministers, including Ebba Busch. It is also inscribed in the government’s energy policy bill.