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ENERGY

Second energy price subsidy approved for users across Sweden

Sweden's second energy price subsidy, which will be offered to all users in Sweden for energy costs incurred in November and December 2022, has been approved by the Energy Market Inspectorate.

Published: 3 February 2023 10:35 CET
Second energy price subsidy approved for users across Sweden
The second batch of the energy price subsidy has now been approved. Photo: Janerik Henriksson/TT

In the approved application, submitted by Svenska kraftnät on January 30th on behalf of the government, Svenska kraftnät are permitted to use a maximum of 10 billion kronor in so-called bottleneck income to finance energy price support for individuals.

In contrast to the first energy price subsidy, this subsidy will also be available for users in northern Sweden.

How do I know which energy zone I am in?

Energy zone 1 – the cheapest energy zone – is in the far north of Sweden, and it includes Norrbotten county and part of Västerbotten county.

Energy zone 2 is slightly further south, and it includes Jämtland county, Västernorrland county, and parts of Gävleborg and Västerbotten counties.

Energy zone 3 covers central Sweden, encompassing Stockholm and Gothenburg, as well as Stockholm county, Södermanland county, Uppsala county, Värmland county, Västmanland county, Örebro county, Östergötland county, Dalarna county, and parts of Halland, Kalmar, Jönköping, Västra Götaland, and Gävleborg counties.

Energy zone 4 – the most expensive zone – includes Malmö, Skåne, Blekinge, Kronoberg, and parts of Kalmar, Halland, Jönköping and Västra Götaland counties.

How much will it cover?

The energy price support will cover 80 percent of the recorded energy usage for a property in November and December 2022, and will be paid out to the individual named on the energy contract on December 31st, 2022.

It is not yet clear when the second energy price subsidy will be paid out to recipients.

The approved model will offer 90 öre per kWh to users in energy zones one and two – northern Sweden, 126 öre per kWh for users in energy zone three – central Sweden, and 129 öre per kWh for users in energy zone four, located in southern Sweden.

 

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ENERGY

Sweden plans for new nuclear reactor in next decade

Swedish utility Vattenfall said Monday it was aiming to put a new nuclear reactor into commission in the first half of the 2030s, as part of Sweden's decision to reinvest in the energy source.

Published: 19 February 2024 15:33 CET
Sweden plans for new nuclear reactor in next decade

In June 2022, the state-owned company launched a pilot study into the construction of at least two small modular reactors (SMRs) at the Ringhals
nuclear power station in the southwest of the country.

“We have concluded that there are good conditions for building new nuclear power on the Varo peninsula, but that it is too early to choose the type of
reactor,” Desiree Comstedt, vice president of New Nuclear at Vattenfall, said in a statement. “The ambition to have a first reactor in operation by the first half of the 2030s remains.”

In November, Sweden’s coalition government presented plans to massively ramp up nuclear energy in the country. The government said it wanted to increase production equivalent to two nuclear reactors by 2035, with a “massive expansion” to follow by 2045.

Vattenfall said it had begun acquiring real estate in the area where it wants to build the reactors, and would initiate a dialogue with local stakeholders before applying for environmental permits. In the conclusions of its study, the company said the Ringhals location was suitable for new nuclear power, albeit with some space limitations due to nearby nature reserves.

Comstedt said the Varo peninsula area where the Ringhals nuclear power station is located can accommodate three to five SMR reactors but “the nature
reserve limits additional capacity”.

She added that Vattenfall was looking into the potential consequences of the environmental impact on the nature reserves, as Vattenfall would ideally
like to build up even more capacity in the area. SMRs are advanced nuclear reactors that have a power capacity of up to 300
megawatts of electricity per unit, which is about one-third of the generating capacity of a traditional nuclear power reactor.

They are relatively simple to build, as their systems and components can be factory-assembled and transported as a unit to a location for installation,
which also makes them more affordable than large power reactors. The Scandinavian country voted in a 1980 non-binding referendum to phase
out nuclear power.

Since then, Sweden has shut down six of its 12 reactors and the remaining ones, at three nuclear power plants, generate about 30 percent of the
electricity used in the country today. In 2016, a broad political majority agreed to extend nuclear power for the forseeable future, paving the way for new reactors to be built to replace the ageing ones at the end of their lifespans.

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