Antinuclear

Sweden’s pro nuclear decision by no means a sure thing

The Riksdag voted in favor of renewing nuclear power—….by the near-divided vote of 174-172. The left-leaning opposition party has vowed to reverse the legislation if it gains power in September’s general election…..Even if the overturn of the ban stands, political will alone does not new nuclear power plants make–as neighboring Finland can attest

Sweden Goes Nuclear (maybe) TIME,  by Eben Harrell Friday, June 18, 2010, The Riksdag, Sweden’s parliament, voted on June 17 to overturn a three-decades old ban on new nuclear reactors in what many see as a test-case for the long-predicted “nuclear renaissance ” in Europe.The legislation annuls a a referendum in 1980 in which Sweden’s population voted against renewing or replacing the country’s fleet of 12 power plants…….

But yesterday’s vote is no simple victory for nuclear supporters. Fission    which works by releasing the “binding energy” that holds atoms together—remains both literally and fundamentally divisive, even in Sweden. The Riksdag voted in favor of renewing nuclear power—which currently provides around 50% of the country’s electricity through 10 remaining plants—by the near-divided vote of 174-172. The left-leaning opposition party has vowed to reverse the legislation if it gains power in September’s general election.

Even if the overturn of the ban stands, political will alone does not new nuclear power plants make–as neighboring Finland can attest. In 2002, the Finns decided to build new reactors as part of their effort to honor their Kyoto obligations. French nuclear giant Areva unveiled designs for a grand new reactor on the island of Olkiluoto. Since then, things have not gone smoothly. The reactor, originally scheduled to open last year, now won’t be operational until 2013 at the earliest. The project is over-budget—by billions of euros—and Areva and it’s client TVO have been slinging accusations back and forth as to which party is responsible for the overrun. Sweden Goes Nuclear (maybe) – Ecocentric – TIME.com

June 19, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | uranium | antinuclear, nuclear costs, uranium