Sweden and a large number of other countries have agreed to triple the energy from nuclear power by 2025 compared to 2020 levels. But expanding nuclear power will take longer than that, according to Max Åhman, docent in environmental and energy systems at Lund University.
– Now there is a political will to expand nuclear power, but it will still take quite a long time, he says.
During the ongoing climate conference COP28, a large number of countries, including Sweden, came out with the message to greatly increase nuclear power by the year 2025 in order to reach the goal of reduced carbon dioxide emissions. But according to Max Åhman, it will take much longer than that – realistically, it is 2035 at the earliest.
There are many permits that need to be in place and it takes time to build the new nuclear power.
– If you haven’t started with it yet, you can count on it taking 7 to 10 years before you get all the permits and everything is investigated and ready. Then it takes 5 to 7 years to build it.
You might be able to speed things up a bit here and a bit there, but most pointers are on around 2035, says Max Åhman.
– The idea is that it will take time for it to be safe, he continues.
The electricity market should be reformed
It is also important that nuclear power becomes profitable, according to Åhman. Among other things, the electricity market should be reformed.
– We have a deregulated electricity market, so the electricity market must also be reformed.
So that you will get profitability in it. Then you either have to resort to subsidies or change the electricity market in some way, says Max Åhman.
As the electricity market looks today, nuclear power would not be financially viable, he believes.
– It is simply too expensive. It is also a very large and long-term investment, says Max Åhman.
He assumes that politically, above all, people are looking at extending the already existing nuclear power in Sweden. But several municipalities seem to have shown interest in building nuclear power, according to him.