Sweden said Thursday that it had selected so-called small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) for its first nuclear power expansion in a half-century.
The government said three or five of the next-generation reactors would be built at the Ringhals plant in southwestern Sweden, providing around 1,500 megawatts -- the equivalent of two classic reactors.
"For the first time in 50 years, new nuclear power will be built in Sweden," Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told a press conference.
The Scandinavian country voted in a nonbinding 1980 referendum to phase out nuclear power, and since then has shut down six of its 12 ageing reactors.
But a political majority is now in favour of extending nuclear power, along with renewable energy sources, to reduce its use of fossil fuels.
Sweden's state energy utility Vattenfall, which had also been considering classic reactor technology, said it was in negotiations with British group Rolls-Royce and American group GE Vernova to build the mini-reactors.
Chief executive Anna Borg said the cost of the project "was still a matter of negotiation," adding that Vattenfall aimed to have the new reactors built by around 2035.
Sweden's six active reactors currently generate about 30 percent of its electricity needs.
SMRs are advanced reactors that have a power capacity of 300 to 500 megawatts of electricity per unit.
They are relatively simple to build, which makes them more affordable than large power reactors.
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ROLLS-ROYCE HOLDINGS
