Sweden selects Rolls-Royce SMR for new nuclear expansion
Sweden has moved forward with plans to expand its nuclear capacity, with Swedish energy developer Videberg Kraft announcing the selection of Rolls-Royce SMR as its partner to deliver three small modular reactors on the Värö peninsula on the country’s west coast, Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
The Videberg Project will mark Sweden’s first new nuclear power plant in more than four decades. Once completed, it is expected to add about 1,500 MWe of clean baseload electricity, covering roughly 6% of Sweden’s annual power demand. The plant is designed to operate for more than 60 years and is aimed at strengthening energy security while supporting households and industry in southern Sweden.
According to the developer Videberg Kraft, the selection followed a multi-year assessment process that began in 2022 and evaluated both large-scale reactors and small modular reactor technologies. The company said the final choice reflects confidence in standardized modular nuclear systems as a long-term solution for stable low-carbon power generation.
Rolls-Royce SMR chief executive Chris Cholerton said the decision reflects growing trust in the company’s standardized deployment model, which uses factory-built components to improve cost and delivery certainty.
British business and trade secretary Peter Kyle described the project as a significant endorsement of British nuclear innovation and said it places the United Kingdom at the center of Europe’s renewed interest in nuclear energy development.
The Rolls Royce SMR design is currently in the final stages of regulatory assessment in the United Kingdom. The first reactor in Sweden is expected to begin operation in the mid-2030s.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Kazakhstan intends to boost non-commodity exports to Sweden