Nuclear power in Sweden

Sweden uses 16,000 kWh of electricity per person, by far the highest consumption in EU. The reason is a well-developed electricity intensive industry and a cold climate with high share of electric heating. The annual power consumption has for several years been about 140 TWh and a normal year almost 50 per cent is produced by hydro and 50 percent by nuclear. A new legislation, giving the Government the right to ordering the closure nuclear power plants of political reasons without any reference to safety, has been accepted by the Parliament. The new act, in force since January 1, 1998, is a specially tailored expropriation act. Certain rules for the economical compensation to the owner of a plant to be closed are defined in the new act. The common view in the Swedish industry is that the energy conservation methods proposed by the Government are unrealistic. During the first period of about five years the import from coal fired plants in Denmark and Germany is the only realistic alternative. Later natural gas combi units and new bioenergy plants for co-production of heat and power (CHP) might be available. (orig.)