Swedish parliament clears way for new nuclear reactors by amending energy targets

Swedish lawmakers yesterday approved changes to the country's energy targets, which will no longer require all electricity to come from renewable sources to achieve carbon neutrality, but instead from non-fossil sources. The small but significant change clears the way for the construction of new nuclear units, which the country's current government is pushing for.

Changing the target from 100% renewable electricity generation to non-fossil sources is a key step, according to Reuters, towards fulfilling the Swedish government's plans to address the future of electricity generation in the country. According to an analysis by the Swedish Energy Agency at the end of last year, the country's electricity consumption could nearly double by 2035, driven by the electrification of industry and the wider economy as they decarbonise.

"This creates the conditions for nuclear power. We need more electricity generation, we need clean electricity and we need a stable energy system," Swedish Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson said, according to Reuters.