Swedish minister unsure of Barseback closure date
Date: 28-May-02
Country: SWEDEN
Author: Erik Brynhildsbakken
"We reckon that we will close Barseback 2 sometime during 2003," Industry and Energy Minister Bjorn Rosengren told Reuters. "But I cannot promise anything."
He said that the closure depended on a combination of new generation capacity and a drop in consumption to prevent the shut down from causing difficulties with the electricity supply.
Analysts told Reuters last week that Sweden's ruling Social Democrats are trying to avoid a debate on the phasing-out of nuclear energy ahead of the September election, as it would likely cost them votes.
Industry players say taking Barseback 2 offline in 2003 is unlikely.
The shut down of Barseback 2 is part of Sweden's decision in a 1980 referendum to replace all its nuclear energy, which accounts for about half of Sweden's total production of 150 terawatt hours, with renewables. Barseback 1 closed in 1999.
But the plan has caused considerable political headaches due to a lack of realistic alternatives. Sweden decided in 1997 to scrap a 2010 deadline for the nuclear phase-out and has now no fixed timetable apart from Barseback.
Rosengren said he was certain that Sweden would eventually replace nuclear generation, but declined to offer any timeframe.
He said it would be decided in consultation with the energy industry, matching the model as Germany's recent decision to close all nuclear power stations by 2025. "All I can say is that this will take a long time," he said.
Rosengren added that switching to natural gas as a main source of power was out of the question as it would increase Swedish emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), widely blamed for causing global warming.
That could leave only costly alternatives such as wind, solar and bioenergy.
DOUBTS FINNS' NEW N-PLANT
Sweden's Nordic neighbour Finland made a landmark decision last week to build a fifth nuclear reactor to meet rising energy demand and free the country from its dependence on Russian gas.
But Rosengren said it could be a political signal to Russia and the plant might never be built.
"(Finland) is under heavy pressure when it comes to both oil and gas, so this might be a way to signal to the Russians that it has other alternatives," he said. "I do not think one should be absolutely sure that the (reactor) will be realised."
Sweden has come under fire from Denmark due to delays to the closure of Barseback 2, which is just 10 kms (6.214 miles) away from Copenhagen.
Rosengren shrugged off the criticism and noted that Denmark and Norway were exporters of natural gas.
"This energy debate is not conducted according to facts - there is an awful lot of politics and mean scheming," he said. "The Danes and the Norwegians want to push their natural gas on us."