Sweden’s biggest ever cross-party energy deal was designed to provide stability for utilities for almost three decades, but the 2016 accord is now at risk of being ripped up after next month’s general election. The Sweden Democrats, which some polls show could emerge as the biggest party, would revoke nuclear-plant closures central to the agreement if they came to power. The Christian Democrats, one of the accord’s co-signers, on Tuesday echoed that view and pressed for key parts of the deal to be renegotiated. The agreement ended more than 30 years of bickering over nuclear power, extended support for renewable energy and stated that there should be zero emissions impacting the climate by 2045. It effectively boosted the lives of the nation’s six newest reactors until at least 2040, but didn’t address how the capacity of four older Vattenfall AB and EON SE units will be replaced. “It is an empty agreement that lacks concrete details,” said Runar Brannlund, head of economics research at Umea University in northern Sweden. “It doesn’t deal with how to have enough capacity when the wind does not blow and the sun does not shine. But sooner or later this will become a real issue that the parties will handle, and then we will see how they act.”
Bloomberg 16th Aug 2018 read more »
