In the budget bill for 2025, the government is proposing investments of more than SEK1bn ($96m) to ensure an increased and secure energy supply and to promote the green transition. Sweden’s climate change, competitiveness and welfare are based on secure access to fossil-free energy at competitive prices, the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Climate & Business said in a press release. Sweden has targeted net zero emissions by 2045, which will require “a powerful expansion of fossil-free electricity generation – with all types of power”.
These investments include, among other things, “new support to increase the electricity system’s capabilities, compensation to municipalities for wind power expansion, an increased investment in pilot and demonstration projects in the nuclear field and efforts to improve the conditions for new fossil-free electricity generation”.
The Government intends to submit these proposals to Parliament in the Budget Bill for 2025. The proposals are based on an agreement between the government and the Swedish Democrats.
“The Government and the Swedish Democrats have already taken a number of decisive measures to improve the conditions for new nuclear power, and further steps are now being taken,” said Mattias Bäckström Johansson, party secretary of the Swedish Democrats. “It is fully necessary to meet the electricity needs of the future and to increase the security of supply in the electricity system. There is also a renaissance in nuclear power with several new exciting technologies, where Sweden will now also be able to participate and lead the development in developing new technology in this area.”
Finance Minister Niklas Wykman noted: “Now we are working quickly on the financing model for new nuclear power. Nuclear power is an important part of securing Swedish growth in the future, not least because it is planned.”
New nuclear power is needed to meet the electricity needs of the future and to increase the security of supply in the electricity system. The government’s work to enable the expansion of new nuclear power is now entering a more intensive phase, the Government said. Proposals to improve the conditions for new nuclear power include:
- Investment in pilot and demonstration projects in the nuclear field. “Research and innovation in the energy field contribute to the transformation of the energy system. The investments required will largely be made with existing technology, but new innovative solutions will also be required both within individual technologies and at the system level. The Government is therefore investing SEK100m in 2025 to support pilot and demonstration projects in the nuclear field.
- Developed guidance for effective permit processes. “The Government continues its work for new nuclear power with an effort to develop guidance for efficient permit processes. Preparedness needs to be available for an efficient process. In order to create the conditions for good coordination between the relevant authorities and parts of the permit process, the Government strengthens the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency’s grant by SEK2.5m in 2025 so that the authority can provide guidance according to the Environmental Code. For 2026 and 2027, the appropriation is expected to increase by SEK2.5m and 1.5m respectively.
- Efforts for new nuclear power. “Further work will be required to strengthen the conditions for new nuclear power. The Government therefore allocates SEK30m in 2025 for this purpose. Furthermore, SEK35m is expected to be allocated in 2026 and SEK25m in 2027.”
Addressing the Riksdag (parliament), Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said: “The decommissioning of half of all nuclear reactors has resulted in a shortage of plannable electricity in southern Sweden. This has cost us dearly. To secure the electricity supply and succeed in the climate transition, the government is fundamentally reworking its energy policy. All types of fossil-free energy will be needed. Without energy policy, there is no climate policy.”
He added that important steps have been taken to establish a new nuclear programme in Sweden, and these efforts are “now entering an intensive phase”. He said the government is continuing work on the recently presented model for risk-sharing. “The government is presenting a bill on research and innovation in the field of energy, where research on nuclear power is a particular priority. We are investing in pilot and demonstration projects in the area of nuclear power.”
In October 2022, Sweden’s incoming centre-right coalition government adopted a positive stance towards nuclear energy. In November 2023, it unveiled a roadmap which envisages the construction of new nuclear generating capacity equivalent to at least two large-scale reactors by 2035, with up to 10 new large-scale reactors coming online by 2045.
