GE Vernova, Rolls-Royce move forward in Vattenfall SMR process

In an August 21 announcement, Vattenfall said that the two reactor suppliers “have the best prerequisites to deliver within a reasonable timeframe and budget. The process to enable new nuclear power is now continuing.”

The company noted that the Värö peninsula, where Ringhals nuclear power plant is located, is considered the best location to bring new nuclear power into operation in Sweden as quickly as possible, but the site has limitations in terms of space and infrastructure.

The downselect: The company said that the selected suppliers offer SMRs with proven technology and simplified designs. Both use fuel for which Vattenfall has established supply chains.

“We have conducted a very thorough evaluation of the suppliers and reactors,” says Desirée Comstedt, vice president and head of new nuclear at Vattenfall. She added, “Building a series of smaller units brings clear cost advantages; they require less space, need significantly fewer personnel, and lead to more manageable logistics. This also increases the ability during the construction phase to find, house, and transport staff, reducing the risk of increased costs.”

Growth: Vattenfall is planning a project with either five BWRX-300 reactors (GE Vernova) or three Rolls-Royce SMR reactors, which will provide a total output of about 1,500 MW. By comparison, a 500-MW SMR has the same capacity as the first large-scale reactor in Oskarshamn, according to Vattenfall.

New Swedish nuclear power will require collaboration among various stakeholders. The industry consortium Industrikraft is an initiative involving 17 leading Swedish industrial companies with which Vattenfall has had a dialogue from the start.

“The process of constructing new nuclear reactors has taken a significant step forward, and there is now a clear and viable project on the Värö peninsula,” said Tom Erixon, Industrikraft chair.

Next up: An application for state risk-sharing will be submitted and a final supplier selected. Vattenfall is already looking at the next step to build additional 1000 MW where Ringhals-1 and -2 are located. Final investment decisions will be made later in the process, according to the company.