Azernews.Az

by Alimat Aliyeva

Premium British engineering company Rolls-Royce SMR will supply three small modular reactors (SMRs) for the construction of Sweden’s first new nuclear power plant in four decades, AzerNEWS reports.

According to reports, the company will provide three reactors with a capacity of 470 megawatts each. They are expected to be installed near the existing Ringhals Nuclear Power Plant, one of the country’s largest nuclear energy sites. The first reactor is scheduled to begin operations in the mid-2030s.

Sweden has become the third European country to select Rolls-Royce SMR technology, following the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom. To accelerate the expansion of nuclear energy, the Swedish government has proposed loans of up to $47 billion and electricity price guarantees for up to 40 years. The goal is to support the development of at least 5 gigawatts of new nuclear generating capacity.

Interest in nuclear power has grown significantly in recent years due to the 2021–2022 energy crisis, rising electricity demand, and the rapid expansion of data centers and artificial intelligence technologies, which require reliable, around-the-clock power supplies. Concerns about energy security and dependence on imported fossil fuels have further strengthened the case for nuclear energy in many countries.

According to Dmitry Evdokimov, a researcher at the Presidential Academy’s Center for Spatial Analysis and Regional Diagnostics, nuclear power is increasingly viewed not only as a source of low-carbon electricity but also as a strategic asset for economic stability and national security.

An interesting aspect of the project is the use of small modular reactors. Unlike traditional nuclear reactors, SMRs are designed to be manufactured in factories and assembled on-site, potentially reducing construction times and costs. Many experts believe that SMRs could play a key role in powering future AI infrastructure, large-scale data centers, and energy-intensive industries while helping countries meet their climate goals.