18 Feb (NucNet): Sweden's 473-MW Oskarshamn-1 nuclear unit will be shut permanently in the middle of 2017, owner OKG said yesterday.



OKG’s chief executive officer Johan Dasht said shutting the reactor in mid-2017 was best from an economic and safety perspective. The shutdown date is contingent on approval from the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority and the local Land and Environment Court.

In October, a majority of OKG's shareholders voted to close the reactor between 2017 and 2019, before the end of its technical lifetime, because it is not profitable. The unit is Sweden's oldest reactor and began commercial operation in February 1972.

Shareholders also voted to shut the 638-MW Oskarshamn-2 ahead of schedule, also due to financial reasons. The reactor began commercial operation in January 1975.

Oskarshamn-1 will be taken out of operation after an environmental permit has been received. Oskarshamn-2 has been out of operation since June 2013 for an extensive safety modernisation and will not be put back into operation.

In October 2015 OKG said the closures do not affect Oskarshamn-3, which should continue to operate until 2045.

OKG is majority owned by Uniper Sweden, formerly E.On Sweden, and Fortum. Fortum said in June 2015 that it wanted to keep the reactors operating.

In a statement, Mr Dasht reiterated that there is no reason to think that either Oskarshamn-1 or Oskarshamn-2 will, either in the long or short term, be profitable.

Uniper Sweden has blamed a combination of low electricity prices and high taxes and fees for the units’ lack of profitability.

Last month Fortum blamed the planned early closure of the units for a fall in operating profit for 2015 of 26 percent.


Source: NucNet
Editor: David Dalton
© NucNet a.s.b.l Brussels, Belgium

Source link: http://www.nucnet.org/all-the-news/2016/02/18/sweden-s-oskarshamn-1-will-shut-permanently-in-2017-says-okg