POLICY & FINANCE | SWEDEN’S NUCLEAR PIVOT
Inside Sweden’s nuclear U-turn
As Sweden pivots from a nuclear phase-out to expansion, national nuclear power coordinator Carl Berglöf tells NEi what’s driving the shift and what the nuclear industry should watch next.
By Jackie Park
Sweden’s nuclear roadmap includes commissioning two new large-scale reactors to add 2.5 GW of capacity by 2035 that will join plants like Forsmark. Source: Vattenfall
ONCE COMMITTED TO PHASING out nuclear power, Sweden has reversed course, not only lifting the ban on new reactors but also introducing government frameworks to accelerate investments and deployment. The pivot repositions nuclear alongside hydro and wind power as a pillar of the country’s plans for a fossil-free electricity system by 2040. Today, Sweden’s nuclear roadmap includes
commissioning two large-scale reactors to add 2.5 GW of capacity by 2035 and the equivalent of 10 new reactors, with a push for small modular reactors (SMRs), by 2045. According to NEi parent company GlobalData, the country is on course to reach 8.2 GW in nuclear capacity and 59.8 TWh in annual generation by 2035.
Carl Berglöf, national nuclear power coordinator of
Sweden’s Ministry of Climate and Enterprise, explains what’s driving the country’s nuclear revival and the challenges and opportunities ahead. NEi: Sweden has historically relied on a mix of energy sources, with nuclear capacity having been capped until recently. Why has the country seen this renewed momentum for nuclear? Berglöf: Initially, we had a policy to phase out nuclear energy by 2010. That didn’t happen, and the phase-out goal moved to 2040, with the aim of having a fully renewable electricity system by then. But this changed in a stepwise development since 2018 which was a very warm and dry summer – a heatwave and very low wind. During this time,
30 | May 2026 |
www.neimagazine.com
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