Germany is saying goodbye to nuclear power this Friday by shutting down three reactors that are still running, but countries like Finland, Sweden and Poland have redoubled their commitment to the technology amid the energy crisis and war in Ukraine.
Finland became the first country in the European Union (EU) to increase its nuclear power generation capacity after the nuclear accident at Chernobyl (Ukraine) in order to reduce its energy dependence on Russia and reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
It currently has five nuclear reactors with a maximum combined power of 4,394 electrical megawatts (MW), which produce about 40% of the electricity it consumes.
Four of them were built in the 1970s, and the fifth, Olkiluoto 3, went into full operation last Monday, becoming the most powerful in Europe with a capacity of 1,600 MW.
The reactor, which began work in 2005, has been a nightmare for the Areva-Siemens consortium of contractors, which completed it with a 13-year delay and an estimated final cost of around 11 billion euros, almost four times over budget.
In 2010, Finland authorized the construction of a sixth large nuclear reactor to be operated by the Finnish consortium Fennovoima and the Russian state company Rosatom, but the project was canceled last year after the invasion of Ukraine due to construction risks. NPP with Russian technology and participation.
In Sweden, the right-wing government led by conservative Ulf Kristersson has changed the Scandinavian country’s nuclear policy, betting on the construction of new reactors for the first time in decades, and submitted to Parliament, where it has a majority thanks to the support of the far right, a draft law that makes this measure possible .
This reform aims to solve electricity supply problems and provide more affordable prices and was made possible by a change of heart in the Conservative Party, which just seven years ago signed an agreement to phase out nuclear power in 2040 and bet on renewable energy.
In 2010, the Swedish parliament approved the lifting of the nuclear moratorium, although it was agreed that the total number of reactors could not exceed 10 in operation at that time.
On the contrary, the new law specifies that there will be no restrictions on the number or location of new reactors, the construction of which the government hopes to begin no later than 2026.
Sweden currently has three power plants and six operating reactors, and nuclear power provides about 30% of the country’s electricity generation.
In 2021, the Polish government also announced its intention to build six nuclear power plants in the country, which currently does not have an operating reactor, so that by the end of 2040 23% of its energy will come from this source.
Currently, 70% of its energy matrix, which requires about 33 gigawatts (GW) per year, depends on coal, which is highly polluting.
The first of the stations will be built in the Pomerania region (North) and will have an AP1000 type reactor of the American company Westinghouse, which is expected to supply at least 3.75 (GW) per year, and the second station will be built in collaboration with the South Korean company Hyundai , which received from it from six to nine GW.
The plans of the Polish government, supported by 75% of Poles according to polls, predict that both plants will be commissioned in 2033.
For the ultra-conservative Polish government, which has supported and subsidized the mining sector for years, the nuclear option is one of the most practical, as it has a “clean” source that allows it to meet Brussels’ demands and move closer to energy independence.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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