Sweden selects Rolls-Royce SMR for new units near Ringhals NPP

Sweden’s preparations for new nuclear capacity are moving into the next phase. Project company Videberg Kraft has selected British Rolls-Royce SMR technology for the planned construction of three small modular reactors on the Värö peninsula near the Ringhals nuclear power plant. Sweden is joining Czechia and the United Kingdom, which are also planning to use the technology.

Each of the planned Rolls-Royce SMRs is expected to have an electrical capacity of 470 MW. The three units would create a source with a total capacity of around 1.5 GW at the site, with expected annual generation of around 12 TWh of electricity. According to Videberg Kraft, the first unit is not expected to enter operation before the mid-2030s.

The technology selection marks an important milestone in preparing a project that could become Sweden’s first new nuclear power plant in more than four decades. However, several key steps remain before construction can begin, particularly detailed technical development, the permitting process and negotiations on the terms of state support. Only then will it be possible to make a final investment decision.

Rolls-Royce selected from dozens of options considered

The supplier selection followed a three-year process during which Videberg Kraft assessed more than 70 possible solutions. Two small modular reactor technologies made it to the final stage – Rolls-Royce SMR and GE Vernova Hitachi’s BWRX-300. The company said the British option was ultimately chosen because of its prospects for successful project delivery, its industrial construction concept and the opportunity to participate in the wider Rolls-Royce SMR programme in Europe.

A higher degree of prefabrication also played an important role, as it is expected to limit the amount of work carried out directly at the construction site and reduce the risk of delays. Rolls-Royce SMR is a pressurised water reactor, a technology also used at the existing Ringhals nuclear power plant.

Sweden is the third European country, after Czechia and the United Kingdom, to select Rolls-Royce SMR technology for a specific nuclear project.

The state is set to play a significant role in the project

Videberg Kraft is a joint project of energy company Vattenfall and industrial consortium Industrikraft. The Swedish state is also set to join the ownership structure, taking a majority stake in the project company under a government proposal. The state would hold 60% of the voting rights and ownership stake, while Vattenfall and Industrikraft would remain minority shareholders.

The project at the Ringhals plant is also the first application submitted under Sweden’s new state support scheme for nuclear power construction. The scheme includes state loans and contracts for difference, among other measures, to reduce investment risk for new reactors.

Sweden is planning wider development of nuclear power

The technology selection for the Videberg Kraft project follows a broader shift in Swedish energy policy. The government expects to create the conditions by 2035 for new nuclear capacity equivalent to at least two large reactors. Much more extensive development is planned by 2045, potentially including both large units and small modular reactors.

The project at the Ringhals nuclear power plant is not the only nuclear initiative in preparation in Sweden. Blykalla has also applied for state support for a planned park of six lead-cooled SEALER reactors at the Norrsundet site. Studsvik has submitted another application, proposing up to 1400 MW of new installed capacity based on small modular reactors in the southern part of the country.