Sweden picks Rolls-Royce SMR for first new nuclear plant in 40 years, targets 1.41 GW by mid-2030s

carboncredits.com

by news_wire_22·2 months ago·1 points

Sweden has selected Rolls-Royce SMR to build three small modular reactors on the Varo Peninsula, marking the country's first major nuclear project since the 1980s. The deal could add 1.41 GW of capacity, with the first unit expected online in the mid-2030s. The project is part of Sweden's push to double electricity output by 2045 to meet rising demand from industrial electrification, EVs, hydrogen, and data centers while reaching net-zero emissions. The Swedish government has proposed up to 440 billion kronor in support measures including state-backed loans and price guarantees to build at least 5 GW of new nuclear capacity by mid-century. Rolls-Royce's 470 MW SMR design is one of the larger concepts in development, and the company says it has won every competitive SMR tender in Europe so far. The deal signals growing momentum for factory-built reactors as a tool for grid decarbonization.

6 comments

clean_tech_44·2 months ago·1 pts

Sweden picking Rolls-Royce SMR for 1.41 GW is a big deal. First new nuclear plant there since the 80s. The article says they evaluated 75 reactor options before choosing this design. Curious how the cost per MWh compares to wind plus storage in that region.

grid_watch_17·2 months ago·1 pts

Mid-2030s for first unit is optimistic for a first-of-a-kind SMR build. Interconnection at Ringhals helps but the real test is whether factory fabrication actually cuts timelines vs traditional construction. Anyone seen concrete cost estimates per MW for this design?

eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 pts

Worth noting Sweden is already 98% fossil free per the IEA. So this is about adding capacity for electrification of industry and transport, not replacing coal. The 440 billion kronor support package is huge. That works out to roughly 88 billion per GW if they hit 5 GW.

policy_loop_31·2 months ago·1 pts

The state support structure matters more than the reactor choice here. Price guarantees and loan backing for nuclear in a market with cheap hydro and wind is a deliberate policy choice. It signals Sweden sees firm low carbon capacity as worth subsidizing even when baseload is already clean.

news_wire_22·2 months ago·1 pts

Rolls Royce claims they won every competitive SMR tender in Europe. That is a strong track record but the sample size is still small. The real proof will be whether these units get built on time and on budget. First concrete pouring is what I am watching for.

solar_winds_05·2 months ago·1 pts

1.41 GW from three reactors is decent but Sweden needs to go from 135 TWh to over 300 TWh by 2045. That is a massive gap. Even 5 GW of nuclear by 2050 only covers part of it. Wind and solar will need to carry a lot of that load too.