Blykalla submits application for six-SMR site in Sweden

“Building new energy infrastructure is critical, and the energy systems of the future need to be predictable, reliable and fossil-free,” Blykalla CEO Jacob Stedman said in Monday’s announcement of the company’s application submission to the Swedish government.

“As AI and electrification grow worldwide, we need to accelerate the deployment of predictable, clean baseload power. That’s exactly what Blykalla’s technology does, and we are uniquely positioned to meet this moment,” Stedman said.

About the site: Blykalla would build what it is calling an “advanced nuclear reactor park” at Norrsundet, two hours north of Stockholm. The site was chosen because of its location between two key bidding zones, access to an existing port, infrastructure, and the area’s industrial background, the company said.

The proposed power plant could provide power to roughly 150,000 households, a large-scale industrial operation, or a medium-sized data center, according to Blykalla.

The Swedish government will launch a comprehensive approval process of the application, a process that will include the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority and the Land and Environment Court. Municipal approval from Gävle—where Norrsundet is located—is also required. If approval is granted, Blykalla says the site could become operational in the early 2030s.

New nuclear in Sweden: Blykalla’s announcement comes about two months after SMR developer Kärnfull Next submitted the first application under Sweden’s new Act on Government Approval of Nuclear Facilities for a proposed SMR campus in the Valdemarsvik Municipality. The act is one of several reforms the Swedish government has adopted to spur new nuclear deployment in the European country.

Blykalla’s ambitions stretch beyond Sweden. Last year, the SMR developer partnered with Oklo to collaborate in the areas of materials, components, nonnuclear supply chain sourcing, fuel fabrication, and licensing. The collaboration benefits both sides—Oklo by accelerating its technology development and Blykalla by advancing its reactor deployment capabilities.

Sweden’s first nuclear power plant, the now-decommissioned Barsebaeck-1, entered commercial operation in 1975. The country currently is home to six operational power reactors: one at Oskarshamn, two at Ringhals, and three at Forsmark.