The potential of nuclear power in building a sustainable and resilient energy system
This project investigates the future role of nuclear power in Sweden’s energy transition. It addresses key issues such as financing, geopolitical risks, implementation timelines, and potential conflicts arising from competing energy policy goals.
Details
- Period: 2024-10-01 – 2027-06-30
- Budget: 13,169,488 SEK
- Funder: Swedish Energy Agency
- Type of funding: Project grant
Description
Recent geopolitical shifts and unexpected events have reshaped the global energy landscape. At the same time Sweden aims to meet its climate and sustainability goals within the set timeframes. Against this backdrop, this project investigates the potential role of nuclear power in Sweden’s energy transition and examines key factors that may influence the development.
The project brings together researchers from Uppsala University, the Research Institute of Industrial Economics (IFN), and the Swedish Institute of International Affairs.
The project is organized into four workstreams:
- Future Scenarios: Led by Jorge Rodriguez Morales and Mikael Höök at Uppsala University, this component of the project develops future scenarios for nuclear power within the framework of Sweden’s energy system, industry, and economy. It also examines potential conflicts between competing energy policy objectives.
- Geopolitical Risks: Led by Henrik Wachtmeister at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs and Jorge Rodriguez Morales at Uppsala University, this work identifies critical geopolitical risks within the nuclear power supply chain. It also explores potential countermeasures and strategies to mitigate these risks, as well as assessing their impact on the profitability and pace of nuclear power expansion.
- Timeframes and CO2 Emissions: Led by Simon Davidsson Kurland and Jessica Lovering at Uppsala University, this component analyses different timelines for scaling up both nuclear power and wind power. It also includes calculations of the associated carbon dioxide emissions.
- Financing and Electricity Prices: Led by Erik Lundin at the Research Institute of Industrial Economics, this segment explores how nuclear power may affect electricity prices and investment behavior. It also investigates potential conflicts between private and societal economic interests and analyses market incentives for achieving socio-economic efficiency.