A recent report highlights the growing financial and strategic significance of Blykalla’s partnership with Studsvik and Evroc, as the companies move forward on plans to develop Sweden’s first nuclear-powered data centers...
Industry coverage highlights how Blykalla’s collaboration with Studsvik and Evroc could position Sweden as a pioneer in pairing small modular reactors with AI and cloud infrastructure...
Published by Nucleation Capital in Advanced Nuclear, Advanced Nuclear Customers, Artificial Intelligence, Electrification, Energy transition, Fission, Future of Energy, International Collaboration, International support for nuclear, NEWS, Nuclear competitiveness, Nuclear R&D, Portfolio Venture, Private companies
Sweden previously announced its intentions to expand the amount of nuclear power used in the country with the construction of new nuclear generating capacity equivalent by 2 gigawatts (approximately two large-scale reactors) by 2035 and up to 10 gigawatts (about ten new large-scale reactors) coming online by 2045. In November, the Swedish parliament approved the bill that allows new reactors at existing and new sites starting in 2024. Now, Swedish Energy & Industry Minister Ebba Busch has taken bold action to help ensure the success of this key governmental initiative, with the appointment of Carl Berglöf as national nuclear power coordinator.
Berglöf, who recently won the 2023 Honorary Award of the Swedish Nuclear Society in recognition of fifteen years of work in the nuclear field and who has been a nuclear advisor at the industry organisation Energiföretagen Sweden since 2017, will start his new position as national nuclear power coordinator on February 1st.
This job will involve supporting the Swedish government in its work to reach the goal of expanding nuclear power, including serving as a single point of contact with regards to nuclear matters, suggesting ways to accelerate the process, pushing for any supplementary measures that are required to get the job done, and communicating about the initiative to the public. From our perspective, this new appointment promises to be a shining example to the rest of the world about how to improve the process of managing an ambitious expansion of nuclear power, that may well include both traditional gridscale and advanced nuclear designs.
In this capacity, Berglöf will have until 2026 to lay the foundation for the expansion approved by the Riksdag (legislature), which "shares the Government’s assessment that fossil-free electricity from nuclear power will also continue to play a role of central importance in the Swedish energy mix. The main reasons for this are an expected greater demand for electricity in combination with the fact that fossil fuels have to be phased out, particularly for climate reasons. Nuclear power also contributes to the stable and predictable functioning of the Swedish power system."
This move is being widely applauded by the nuclear community and the world's eyes are now on Sweden as a leading actor on the global climate stage, moving aggressively towards its decarbonization goals. Given this, we have to believe that part of Carl's new role will be providing guidance and support to other countries seeking to make similar appointments that can help to accelerate their own pathways to decarbonizing their grids with expansions of nuclear power.
Read more at World Nuclear News "Sweden appoints national nuclear power coordinator," January 5, 2024.
(In Swedish) Regeringskansliet, Carl Berglöf utses till nationell kärnkraftssamordnare, 04 januari 2024
Published by Nucleation Capital in Advanced Nuclear, Brilliant thinkers, Capital reallocation, Climate change, Climate policy, Future of Energy, Government support, History Timeline, History-making, International support for nuclear, LINKS, Nuclear competitiveness, Nuclear financing, Politicians supporting nuclear, Solving climate, Zero emission energy
Blykalla (formerly LeadCold) – The Swedish developer of the high-temperature, low-cost, lead-cooled reactor called the Swedish Advanced Lead Reactor (SEALER) and currently the only Swedish advanced nuclear developer in a country looking to add more nuclear power.
Published by Nuclea_Admin in PORTFOLIO
Sweden has done something very few countries or jurisdictions have done with respect to energy: they have kept their eye on the goal. The Swedish Parliament adopted an energy target of "100% fossil-free" energy—which should be everyone's goal—rather than falling into the trap of focusing on and dictating the means to that goal. This is so rare, it deserves recognition.
In Sweden adopts '100% fossil -free energy target, easing way for nuclear, EURACTIV reports on Sweden's new plan to remove their "100% renewable" target in order to use all available clean energy resources—including nuclear—to meet the expected doubling of energy demand while also meeting a net zero emissions goal by 2045.
“This creates the conditions for nuclear power,” Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson said in parliament. “We need more electricity production, we need clean electricity and we need a stable energy system.”
This new policy gives a green light for the government to push forward with plans by state-owned utility, Vattenfall, to build new small modular nuclear reactor plants and refurbish the country's existing plants to extend the their operating lives. Meanwhile, they are also working to simplify environmental permitting to speed up not just the build-out of nuclear but also for wind power and to accelerate other green technologies.
This is a very significant and promising change of focus which every country should adopt, while allowing utilities to find the best path forward for eliminating their use of fossil fuels. As far as we can tell, nothing else will enable the transition to move ahead at maximum speed.
Read more at EURACTIV's Sweden adopts '100% fossil -free energy target, easing way for nuclear, June 21, 2023.
Published by Nucleation Capital in 100% Renewables, Advanced Nuclear, Carbon emissions, Climate change, Energy abundance, Fossil fuels, Future of Energy, Government support, International support for nuclear, LINKS, Nuclear competitiveness, Politicians supporting nuclear, Regulatory reform, Solving climate, Zero emission energy
Kärnfull Energi is a new, hip and very climate-focused Swedish utility that recently launched offering Swedes a 100% nuclear energy option. They are neither building nor generating new nuclear power, rather their service works much the way that U.S. based community choice aggregators (CCAs) in the U.S. work in offering ratepayers a 90% renewables option. Kärnfull buys certificates that guarantee the nuclear origin of electricty being supplied to its customers.
Kärnfull brand and product offering appeals strongly to young, science-savvy, and predominantly urban Swedes, who are the people most concerned about climate change and least afflicted with fears of or aversion to nuclear, which is characteristic of older generations. The world has woken up to the problems of climate change and habitat destruction. The scientific community tells us we need nuclear power. The public senses that renewables alone won’t save us.
Christian Sjolander and John Ahlberg, the founders aren’t nuclear engineers, but they are proud that Sweden has long supported nuclear power. They watched as neighbouring Germany failed miserably with Energiewende, locking in fossil gas and coal for the foreseeable future. "We didn’t want to let that happen here in Sweden.”
They knew that, in Sweden at least, there was significant public support for nuclear power (with 71% of people positive about it). Though exisiting utilities implictly sold nuclear electricity, all the hype was around 100% renewables products. No one was offering a 100% nuclear electricity tariff, so there was a gap in the market. Now they are the fastest-growing utility in Sweden.
Read more in "Viral Growth of Swedish Startup Is Making Nuclear Energy Cool."
Published by Nucleation Capital in Brilliant thinkers, Corporate decarbonization, Energy abundance, LINKS, Nuclear competitiveness, Nuclear R&D, Private companies, Pro-nuclear campaign
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