Sweden lifts coastal nuclear plant ban to boost expansion

Swedish officials are removing restrictions on coastal nuclear plant construction to accelerate nuclear power expansion. The government has also eliminated the municipal veto on uranium mining.

The Swedish government wants to expand nuclear power and is proposing to remove the construction ban on nuclear facilities along the coastline.

At the same time, the government is speeding up preliminary assessments of whether technical solutions meet necessary requirements. This aims to make the licensing process for new nuclear facilities more predictable and flexible.

– It means that both large and small, old and new actors, get better conditions to contribute, says Climate and Environment Minister Romina Pourmokhtari (L).

Municipal veto on uranium mining scrapped

The government has also decided to eliminate the municipal veto regarding uranium mining in Sweden.

However, the ban on constructing new nuclear facilities in sensitive natural areas remains in place, officials confirmed.

Another development is that the government is opening the possibility of restarting decommissioned reactors, where feasible.

– Of course, the condition is that the reactor is only restarted if it meets all requirements for safety and radiation protection, says Romina Pourmokhtari.