SWEDEN’s government today said it approved two offshore wind power farms off the country’s west coast, with some 100 turbines, while stressing it is not abandoning nuclear power.

The two farms are expected to contribute up to 6.5 terawatt-hours when completed, which the government said is expected to take seven to 10 years.

Swedish state-owned utility Vattenfall was given a permit for the Kattegatt Syd park with 80 turbines planned, and renewable energy company OX2 was given a permit for the Galene park with 21 turbines.

“These two parks at sea are roughly equivalent to one normal-sized nuclear power plant,” Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told a press conference.

Kristersson said nuclear power is part of the government’s strategy to expand Sweden’s production of “fossil-free energy” and noted parliament was about to change its goal of 100% “renewable” energy to 100% “fossil-free” energy.

“For the first time in 43 years, nuclear power will be part of Swedish energy policy in the long term,” Kristersson said.

The Scandinavian country voted in a 1980 non-binding referendum to phase out nuclear power.

Since then, Sweden has shut down six of its 12 reactors and the remaining ones, at three nuclear power plants, generate about 30% of the electricity used in the country today.

But Sweden has struggled to find viable alternative energy sources to replace its nuclear power, with renewable energies not yet able to fully meet its needs. – AFP, May 16, 2023.