Blykalla says facility will be used to validate systems for Sealer plant
Sweden-based small modular reactor (SMR) developer Blykalla broke ground on Monday (3 February) on its advanced reactor testing facility
an important step towards the industrialisation and commercialisation of its lead-cooled reactor technology
at the Oskarshamn nuclear site to the south of Stockholm
marks a pivotal step in industrialising decades of research towards the goal of delivering clean
the facility will be the first new building on a Swedish nuclear power site in over 40 years
Today’s groundbreaking ceremony was attended by Swedish deputy prime minister and energy Minister Ebba Busch
who has often voiced her support for nuclear
The first phase of construction is expected to be completed by June 2025 with tests starting during the third quarter of 2025
The facility will house the electrical Sealer-E prototype reactor and aims to validate critical components and safety systems for a future reactor
The project is a collaborative effort including Germany-based energy company Uniper
Swedish-Swiss multinational electrical engineering corporation ABB
Swedish construction company NCC and the Royal Institute of Technology
It is funded by both private capital and public funding from the government’s Swedish Energy Agency
Blykalla’s planned Sealer SMR plant will use liquid lead cooling and has what the company said are unique safety elements and proprietary innovations
The company said the plant is “a perfect complement” to intermittent energy sources and can provide the baseload energy needed for a full transition to a fossil free future
Lead-cooled nuclear plants are not yet operating
but are being developed as next-generation
Lead has a very high boiling temperature of 1,749°C which means the problem of coolant boiling is for all practical purposes eliminated
This brings with it important safety advantages that also result in design simplification and improved economic performance
Blykalla’s planned Sealer SMR plant can provide the baseload energy needed for a full transition to a fossil free future
The owners of the Oskarshamn nuclear power plant in Sweden have decided to begin a preliminary study on what measures can be taken to extend the operating life of unit 3 from 60 to 80 years
The boiling water reactor was commissioned in 1985
and its service life and production capacity were increased in 2009
The total power of the plant is about 1450 MWe and the annual production is around 11 TWh
Uniper is the majority owner of Oskarshamn with a 54.5% share
The unit currently has a planned operating period until 2045 but Fortum said: "The owners estimate that the current reactor will be able to produce electricity well into the 2060s."
"The next step is to broaden and deepen the analysis work in order to take into account all the relevant perspectives that an operating time extension would entail," Uniper added
"It is a very welcome orientation decision," Uniper Sweden CEO Johan Svenningsson said
"This means that Uniper gets a solid basis for a decision to extend the operating time of Oskarshamn 3 to 80 years
The existing nuclear power is an important component for a stable and reliable energy system."
Uniper noted: "In addition to safe and reliable operation
market conditions are also required where the importance of nuclear power for the energy system is valued
it may include support services for system stability."
"Nuclear power is important for Sweden," Svenningsson said
"In addition to delivering large amounts of fossil-free and predictable electricity
nuclear power provides stability and an increased ability to transport electricity from all types of power in the transmission system
"Nuclear power is also important to Uniper
We ensure the operation of Swedish nuclear power by continuously investing in today's facilities and carefully following the global technological development in the nuclear power field."
As swell as owning a share in the Oskarshamn plant
Germany-based Uniper also owns shares in Sweden's Ringhals
Forsmark and Barsebäck nuclear power plants
as well as in Swedish Nuclear Fuel Handling
Finland's Fortum made a similar decision together with Vattenfall in June this year to assess the possibility of extending the operating lifetime of the Forsmark plants' two pressurised water reactors from 60 to 80 years
NUKEM Technologies Engineering Services GmbH (NUKEM)
in partnership with Uniper Nuclear Services GmbH (UNS) as part of the UNNU Consortium
has completed dismantling the final reactor pressure vessel (RPV) at Sweden’s Oskarshamn NPP
NUKEM and UNS dismantled four reactor pressure vessels at the Oskarshamn NPP (units 1&2) and Barsebäck NPP (units 1&2)
The two 600 MWe boiling water reactors (BWRs) at Barsebäck were shut down in 1999 and 2005
Dismantling of the four RPVs “represents the successful conclusion of an ambitious fleet dismantling project,” NUKEM said
managed post-segmentation and the packaging of the cut RPV components into specialized containers
while NUKEM executed the in-situ segmentation of the RPV and the removal of asbestos insulation between the RPV and the biological shield.”
“By systematically applying lessons learned
we reduced the dismantling time by nearly half from the first to the fourth reactor
demonstrating a remarkable increase in operational efficiency,” said Sergey Molodtsov
“The project also shows that even the most complex tasks can be carried out successfully
adhering to all safety and radiation protection requirements
The RPV is one of the largest and most radioactively contaminated components of a NPP and dismantling requires exceptional precision and strict safety compliance
The final Oskarshamn RPV was successfully cut into transportable segments and prepared for final disposal
The process incorporated state-of-the-art technology
including a specially developed flame-cutting method and innovative tools that enabled safe handling of radioactive materials while ensuring the safety of the project team
such as the removal of asbestos-containing insulation
were systematically addressed through comprehensive planning and design
“We take great pride in having competently delivered this highly valuable decommissioning project together with our consortium partner UNS. This achievement highlights NUKEM’s role as an innovator in the field, continuously fostering strong partnerships across the global nuclear industry,” remarked Nobuaki Ninomiya, Managing Director of NUKEM and its parent company Muroosystems
“The success of this highly technical and organisationally challenging project is a testament to the collaborative efforts of all involved stakeholders
We extend our sincere thanks to the licence holders BKAB AB
OKG AB and Uniper’s Swedish ND&D programme as well as to our consortium partner UNS for their dedication throughout the project”
NUKEM Technologies Engineering Services GmbH in Karlstein am Main
is world-wide active in the areas of management of radioactive waste and spent fuel
For more than 60 years NUKEM has provided high quality products
NUKEM Technologies GmbH is a nuclear engineering and consulting company managing radioactive waste and used fuel and decommissioning of nuclear facilities
It was established in 2006 as a subsidiary of NUKEM Energy
NUKEM Technologies was sold to Russia’s Atomstroyexport (part of Rosatom) for €23.5m ($25.4m) and transferred in 2019 to Rosatom fuel company TVEL
In April 2024 it filed for insolvency under self-administration and was under creditor protection
saying the challenges the company was facing were “attributable to the deteriorating business environment due to the ownership structure following the outbreak of war in Ukraine in February 2022”
It was acquired by Muroosystems later that year
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the latest sign that the nation’s nuclear renaissance is gathering pace
The small plant on the site of Uniper’s Oskarshamn atomic power station will be Sweden’s first new reactor in about 40 years
With electricity demand poised to surge in coming decades
the government sees the controversial technology as one of the main answers to boost supplies
Landmark ‘a major step for Swedish nuclear innovation’
Fortum logoFortum logoFortum
FORTUM CORPORATION ONLINE NEWS 18 SEPTEMBER 2024
the owners of Oskarshamn nuclear power plant
have decided to study with which measures plant’s operating lifetime could be extended to 80 years
The owners believe that the existing reactor have good potential to contribute to the electricity system well into the mid 2060s
The single reactor still in operation in Oskarhamn nuclear power plant is the largest reactor in Sweden with an installed effect on 1450 MW
The reactor was commissioned 1985 and underwent a lifetime extension and capacity increase in 2009
Uniper is the majority owner of Oskarshamn with a 54,5% share
Fortum made a similar decision together with Vattenfall regarding Forsmark nuclear power plant
newsdesk [at] fortum.com (newsdesk[at]fortum[dot]com)
Owners of Forsmark nuclear power plant in Sweden investigate lifetime extensionOwners of Forsmark nuclear power plant in Sweden investigate lifetime extension | Fortum
© Fortum 2025
Vice President of Offshore Development Nordics at RWE Offshore Wind: “We are delighted to be working with the Port of Oskarshamn and the Port of Karlshamn
Offshore wind expansion has significant potential in Sweden
Offshore infrastructure projects such as wind farms often require extensive logistical support
For better logistics and more efficient operations
and for the viability of offshore wind in Sweden
it is important that we have harbours close to the projects
This will result in growth for both neighbouring ports and the surrounding regions.”
Project Manager at RWE Offshore Wind: “A new offshore wind farm has the potential to transform a nearby port into a dynamic hub
We look forward to working with the Port of Oskarshamn to assess its potential as a future offshore wind hub.”
CEO of Smålandshamnar: “The Port of Oskarshamn is already one of the leading harbours in Sweden for the transport and handling of onshore wind components
one of the world’s leading companies in offshore wind
has taken note of our port and our expertise and supports our plans to become a hub for offshore wind
The Port of Oskarshamn is strategically positioned in the Baltic Sea and offers very good conditions and opportunities to meet the needs of future players in offshore wind power
Experience from other ports shows that the offshore wind industry is an employment accelerator that creates growth in the business community and thus the conditions for jobs and migration to the area
This will benefit not only Oskarshamn but also the region
RWE – an experienced offshore wind player
RWE is a global leader in offshore wind energy with more than 20 years of experience in the development
construction and operation of offshore wind projects
The company currently operates 19 offshore wind farms off the coasts of Europe – in Denmark
RWE is currently building Denmark’s largest offshore wind farm
and has further projects under development around the world
RWE plans to increase its global offshore wind capacity from 3.3 gigawatts today to 10 gigawatts by 2030
combined with its technical expertise and global strategy
puts the company in a strong position to also become a market leader in floating wind and to unlock the full potential of the world’s deep seas
An image of the Port of Oskarshamn for media use is available at the RWE Media Centre (© Smålandshamnar AB)
An International Atomic Energy Agency team of experts has completed a review of long-term operational safety for Oskarshamn nuclear power plant's unit 3 in southern Sweden
A Safety Aspects of Long-Term Operation (SALTO) peer review is a comprehensive safety review addressing strategy and key elements for the safe long-term operation (LTO) of nuclear power plants
SALTO missions complement IAEA Operational Safety Review Team (OSART) missions which are designed as a review of programmes and activities essential to operational safety
SALTO peer reviews can be carried out at any time during the lifetime of a nuclear power plant
though according to the IAEA the most suitable time lies within the last 10 years of the plant's originally foreseen operating period
SALTO and OSART reviews are carried out at the request of the IAEA Member State in which the review is to take place
took place at the request of plant operator OKG AB and follows a pre-SALTO mission in 2022. The boiling water reactor was commissioned in 1985 - its service life was extended to 60 years and production capacity increased in 2009
The total power of the plant is about 1450 MWe and the annual production is around 11 TWh. A possible further life extension to 80 years is also under consideration
The leader of the multinational 11-person SALTO team, IAEA Nuclear Safety Officer Bryce Lehman, said: "The team observed that OKG is preparing for safe long-term operation and the plant staff are cooperative
and open to suggestions for improvement. We encourage the plant to address the review findings and implement the remaining activities for safe long-term operation as planned."
The mission team has produced recommendations and suggestions to further improve safe LTO
including the establishment of a comprehensive programme to identify ageing management activities and also the implementation of a comprehensive process to identify components requiring ageing management
Examples of good performance to be shared with the nuclear industry globally included the development of a user-friendly database that shows each user their assigned maintenance activities and "reconstitution of design documentation in cooperation with the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and securing access to the OEM archives for the period of long term operation"
said: "We appreciate the IAEA's support to our plant in ageing management and preparation for safe LTO
It is very important for us to get an external view on our business
The competencies and experience of the IAEA team enable it to effectively identify our areas for improvements. The results of this mission will help us to improve our activities for safe LTO and to further align them with IAEA safety standards."
A draft report has been provided to plant management and the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority
They have the opportunity to make factual comments on the draft
with the final report to be submitted to them and the Swedish government within three months
Swedish nuclear energy company Blykalla (formerly Leadcold)
has selected Sweden-based construction company NCC as the construction partner for its new test facility to be built in Oskarshamn at the OKG NPP site
developed in collaboration with Uniper Sweden is intended to play a key role in advancing Blykalla’s lead-cooled SMR technology
Blykalla is entering a strategic partnership with Sweden’s Höganäs to develop specialised materials and manufacturing processes for the SMR
is a spin-off from the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm
Its SMR prototype SEALER (Swedish Advanced Lead-cooled Reactor) design is a fast compact reactor with passive safety
which can be increased by installing multiple units at the same location
The reactor is designed with the smallest possible core that can achieve criticality in a fast spectrum using 19.9% enriched nitride fuel
The test facility will be the first building constructed at a Swedish NPP site in over 40 years
a leading construction company with extensive experience in complex infrastructure projects
will be responsible for the construction of the test facility
including site preparations and necessary installations
“This test facility is a milestone for Swedish nuclear innovation and a critical step in our journey toward deploying Europe’s first advanced SMR
whose expertise in industrial construction will ensure a high-quality execution of this important project,” says Blykalla CEO Jacob Stedman
“This is an exciting project where we can contribute our expertise in industrial construction
and related areas such as power distribution
Head of Business Area NCC Green Industry Transformation
Construction will begin in February and is expected to be completed by June 2025
The partnership with Höganäs covers three areas: industrialisation, qualification, and commercialisation. It focuses specifically on the industrial production of advanced corrosion-resistant materials needed to ensure the performance and durability of metal components in liquid lead environments.
Höganäs will leverage its expertise in advanced metal powder technologies to develop and produce corrosion-resistant alloys for cladding critical SEALER components
This will involve optimising laboratory-tested alloys for intended powder application processes
and meeting the stringent performance and safety standards required for liquid lead environments
“This collaboration with Höganäs is an essential step in securing a strong and resilient value chain for SEALER technology,” said Stedman
Blykalla and Höganäs will also work together to ensure the scalability and qualification of these materials for SMR deployment
Blykalla said the collaboration highlights the importance of building a reliable supply chain for advanced reactor technologies
“By combining our materials expertise with Blykalla’s innovative reactor technology
we are taking important steps toward making advanced SMRs a reality,” said Hans Keller
Division President Coating & Brazing Technologies at Höganäs
“Industrialising these solutions has the potential to unlock opportunities across multiple sectors
driving both sustainable growth and long-term prosperity.”
Blykalla and Germany-based pump manufacturer KSB announced a partnership to develop specialised pumps for the SEALER technology
the SEALER reactor is designed to maintain a maximum temperature of the lead coolant below 450°C
making corrosion of fuel cladding and structural materials a manageable phenomenon
Blykalla’s goal is for its first 140 MWt SEALER-55 commercial reactor to be ready for operation in the early 2030s
While the website has details of the overall design
it says nothing about the fast reactor technology
which is currently only operational in Russia
where the world’s first ever lead-cooled fast reactor is nearing completion
Hitherto sodium has been used as the liquid metal coolant in fast reactors
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which operates Port of Oskarshamn in Sweden
are working together to determine whether the port could be used for offshore windfarms in the Baltic
RWE wants to establish whether the port could be used for installation and operation and maintenance activity in the Baltic
the companies will map the requirements for offshore wind in the region and any investment that might be required to scale-up the port’s capacity
RWE vice president of offshore development Nordics
“We are delighted to be working with the Port of Oskarshamn
Offshore wind has significant potential in Sweden
Offshore infrastructure projects such as windfarms often require extensive logistic support
It is important we have harbours close to projects."
Smålandshamnar chief executive Niclas Strömqvist said
“Port of Oskarshamn is already one of the leading facilities in Sweden for the transport and handling of onshore wind components
“The port is strategically positioned in the Baltic and can meet the needs of offshore wind
Experience from other ports shows the offshore wind industry is an employment accelerator that creates growth
This will benefit not only Oskarshamn but also the region.”
Sign up for Riviera’s series of technical and operational webinars and conferences:
Consortium handling RPV removal from two nuclear stations in Sweden
Germany-based Nukem Technologies Engineering Services has completed the dismantling of the second and final reactor pressure vessel (RPV) at Sweden’s Oskarshamn nuclear power station
marking a major milestone in nuclear waste management and decommissioning
carried out by a consortium with Uniper Nuclear Services (UNS)
involved the dismantling of four RPVs at two sites – Oskarshamn-1 and -2 and the older Barseback-1 and -2
Nukem said it segmented the last Oskarshamn RPV in situ
and leveraged specialised flame-cutting technology to prepare the vessel components for disposal
UNS handled post-segmentation tasks and packaged the reactor parts into specialised containers
Nukem and Uniper were awarded the dismantling contracts in 2019
with the value of works remaining undisclosed
Spain-based GD Energy Services was also awarded a contract to support the decommissioning of Barseback and Oskarshamn by providing “qualified manpower”
Two 600-MW boiling water reactor units at Barseback were shut down in 1999 and 2005
the newest and most powerful reactor unit on site
will remain in commercial operation until 2045
with operators saying last year they would consider a lifetime extension even into the 2060s
Sweden has six reactor units in commercial operation at three sites – Forsmark
Nuclear power provided about 30% of the country’s electricity generation in 2023
An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Safety Aspects of Long Term Operation (SALTO) mission has completed a review of long term operational safety at unit 3 of the Oskarshamn Nuclear NPP in Sweden
The review was requested by plant operator
Oskarshamn 3 began commercial operation in 1985 with a design life of 40 years
It is equipped with one boiling water reactor and has a net electrical output of 1400 MWe
The plant operator is preparing to extend the operating lifetime to 60 years
Two other units at the power station are in permanent shutdown
Nuclear power accounts for more than a quarter of Sweden’s electricity production
the team reviewed the plant’s preparedness
organisation and programmes for safe long-term operation (LTO)
which built upon an initial IAEA pre-SALTO mission held at the plant in 2022
The 11-member team comprised experts from Argentina
as well as three observers from Hungary and the Netherlands
“The team observed that OKG is preparing for safe long-term operation and the plant staff are cooperative
and open to suggestions for improvement,” said team leader and IAEA Nuclear Safety Officer Bryce Lehman
“We encourage the plant to address the review findings and implement the remaining activities for safe long-term operation as planned.”
The team identified good performances that will be shared with the nuclear industry globally
The team also provided recommendations and suggestions to further improve safe LTO
“We appreciate the IAEA’s support to our plant in ageing management and preparation for safe LTO,” said OKG President Johan Lundberg
“It is very important for us to get an external view on our business
The competencies and experience of the IAEA team enable it to effectively identify our areas for improvements
The results of this mission will help us to improve our activities for safe LTO and to further align them with IAEA safety standards.”
The team provided a draft report to the plant management and to the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (SSM) at the end of the mission
The plant management and SSM will have an opportunity to make factual comments on the draft
A final report will be submitted to the plant management
SSM and the Swedish Government within three months
The dismantling of a reactor pressure vessel at the Oskarshamn nuclear power plant marks the completion of a project to dismantle the RPVs of four decommissioned reactors in Sweden
the UNNU Consortium - comprising Germany's NUKEM Technologies Engineering Services GmbH and Uniper Nuclear Services GmbH (UNS) - have been dismantling the reactor pressure vessels at Oskarshamn units 1 and 2 and Barsebäck units 1 and 2
Commenting on the completion of the dismantling of the fourth RPV in December
NUKEM said: "This achievement represents the successful conclusion of an ambitious fleet dismantling project
managed post-segmentation and the packaging of the cut RPV components into specialised containers
while NUKEM executed the in-situ segmentation of the RPV and the removal of asbestos insulation between the RPV and the biological shield."
NUKEM said the dismantling of an RPV - one of the largest and most radioactively contaminated components of a nuclear power plant - requires exceptional precision and strict safety compliance
The RPV was successfully cut into transportable segments and prepared for final disposal
"By systematically applying lessons learned
demonstrating a remarkable increase in operational efficiency," said Sergey Molodtsov
"The project also shows that even the most complex tasks can be carried out successfully
NUKEM CEO Thomas Seipolt added: "The success of this highly technical and organisationally challenging project is a testament to the collaborative efforts of all involved stakeholders
OKG AB and Uniper's Swedish ND&D programme as well as to our consortium partner UNS for their dedication throughout the project."
Uniper announced in December 2018 a "long-term and common strategy" for the demolition of the two-unit Barsebäck plant together with units 1 and 2 of the Oskarshamn plant
the radiological demolition of the four reactors - during which all radioactive waste will be removed from each unit - will be carried out between 2020 and 2028
The total cost of decommissioning the Barsebäck and Oskarshamn units is estimated at SEK10.0 billion (USD918 million)
The two 600 MWe boiling water reactors (BWRs) at Barsebäck
about 30 kilometres from Malmö in southern Sweden
ABB will help ‘lay groundwork’ for Sealer-E prototype at Oskarshamn
Sweden-based small modular reactor (SMR) developer Blykalla and global engineering company ABB have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop advanced nuclear reactor technology and potentially build an electrical SMR pilot facility near the existing Oskarshamn nuclear power station south of Stockholm
will test proof of concept before expanding to future plants
electrification and digitalisation solutions can support Blykalla’s SMR prototype the Sealer-E
which features an electric lead-cooled reactor
This includes cyber security frameworks to ensure compliance with nuclear safety regulations
will “lay the groundwork” for a successful deployment of advanced nuclear technologies as part of the collaboration
Blykalla’s Sealer SMR plant uses liquid lead cooling and has what the company said are unique safety elements and proprietary innovations
The company said it wants to provide baseload energy to enable a complete transition to a fossil-free future and is collaborating with partners to deliver Sweden’s next nuclear reactor within this decade
Blykalla announced in September that it had doubled the capital raised in an early-stage investment round to €14m ($15.2m) as it seeks to industrialise its Sealer design
Blykalla is focused on two projects – the construction of the electric Sealer-Enon-nuclear prototype test reactor at Oskarshamn and the development of its flagship advanced reactor design demonstrator the Sealer-One
Blykalla said earlier that the funds announced in September will primarily be used for the construction of the prototype test reactor in collaboration with utilities OKG and Uniper
and the continued design and development of the Sealer-One
The Oskarshamn prototype will be used for materials testing at high temperature
including testing of Blykalla’s innovative corrosion-tolerant steel alloys
which are expected to enable the efficient cooling of liquid lead
Blykalla has also signed an MOU with Sweden-based nuclear engineering and services company Studsvik to conduct a feasibility study on the construction and operation of a demonstration Sealer reactor with associated infrastructure for fuel fabrication in Nyköping
construction of the electric prototype reactor is expected to start at Oskarshamn by the end of 2024
A demonstration deployment of the actual Sealer-One lead-cooled reactor is expected by the end of the decade
Sweden’s six commercial nuclear power plants provide almost 30% of the country’s electricity
the government unveiled a roadmap to expand nuclear energy
increasing new capacity by 2,500 MW by 2035 and building up to 10,000 MW by 2045
A computer rendering of a Blykalla nuclear power plant
The Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (SSM – Strålsäkerhetsmyndigheten) has authorised power utility OKG
to construct a new land repository for very low-level nuclear waste
The new final repository will be built in connection with two previous land repositories on the Simpevarps peninsula north of Oskarshamn
The authority has also approved OKG’s environmental impact assessment
The Land & Environmental Court had previously issued a permit for the land repository in accordance with the Environmental Code
The waste that can be deposited in the repository is classified as very low-level and is largely from ongoing decommissioning work at OKG
Significant parts of the waste are concrete
It will also take waste from the Oskarshamn 3 reactor
as well as waste from the Swedish Nuclear Fuel Management (SKB) intermediate storage facility for used nuclear fuel
“The repository is designed in a similar way to a landfill for hazardous waste
We made the assessment that it meets the requirements to be able to store this type of very low-level waste in a radiation-safe way,” said SSM investigator Anders Wiebert
This will total 18,000 cubic metres of waste
The repository will operate until 2048 after which it will be under radiation protection control by OKG for another 30 years
It differs from previous land repositories for waste from nuclear facilities in that the permit will not allow the deposit of cellulose waste such as paper
fabric and wood that can be treated by incineration
Swedish lead-cooled small modular reactor technology developer Blykalla has broken ground for the construction of an electrical small modular reactor pilot facility near Oskarshamn to test proof of concept of its SEALER technology
The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by Swedish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Ebba Busch
The Advanced Reactor Testing Site will house the electrical SEALER-E prototype reactor and aims to validate critical components and safety systems
The project is a collaborative effort including partners from Uniper
NCC and the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH)
The Swedish Energy Agency has awarded a SEK99 million (USD9.3 million) grant for the project
"This test facility is a significant step forward for Swedish nuclear innovation and a testament to the power of collaboration," said Blykalla CEO Jacob Stedman
"By uniting public and private partners
we are creating a foundation for the energy solutions the world urgently needs."
Blykalla announced it had selected NCC AB as the construction partner for the new test facility next to the Oskarshamn nuclear power plant
NCC will be responsible for the construction of the test facility
The first phase of construction is expected to be completed by June with tests starting during the third quarter of 2025.
Blykalla - formerly called LeadCold - is a spin-off from the KTH
where lead-cooled reactor systems have been under development since 1996
The company - founded in 2013 as a joint stock company - is developing the SEALER
A demonstration SEALER (SEALER-D) is planned to have a thermal output of 80 MW
As in future commercial reactors from Blykalla
the fuel rods will be cooled by 800 tonnes of liquid lead
The reactor will have a height and diameter of about 5 metres
Blykalla's goal is for its first 140 MWt SEALER-55 commercial reactor to be ready for operation in the early 2030s
A 20-year lifetime extension would keep the plant open until mid-2060s
A Safety Aspects of Long-Term Operation (SALTO) peer review is a comprehensive safety review addressing strategy and key elements for the safe LTO of nuclear power plants
A Pre-SALTO review mission was requested by the Oskarshamn plant's operator
Unit 3 of the plant - a 1400 MWe (net) boiling water reactor - entered commercial operation in 1985
OKG is preparing to extend its operating lifetime to 60 years
A nine-member team - comprising experts from Argentina
France and the UK and two IAEA staff member - has now completed a ten-day mission to Oskarshamn
"The team observed that OKG is implementing preparations for safe LTO in a timely manner and the staff at the plant are professional
open and receptive to suggestions for improvement," said team leader and IAEA Nuclear Safety Officer Martin Marchena
"Some ageing management and LTO activities already meet IAEA safety standards
We encourage the plant to address the review findings and implement all remaining activities for safe LTO as planned."
The team identified good practices and good performances that will be shared with the nuclear industry globally
including: the plant has developed and fully implemented a comprehensive system for the management of spare parts' obsolescence; the plant has developed and implemented performance monitoring of the cooling circuits for fouling and flow resistance; and the plant has developed and implemented a machine learning software to monitor turbine performance
The team also provided recommendations to further enhance the preparations for LTO safety: the plant should ensure adequate resource planning to support the LTO programme; the plant should fully define the organisational arrangements for LTO; and the plant should implement an appropriate knowledge management process
"We appreciate the IAEA's support to our plant in ageing management and preparation for safe LTO," said OKG Managing Director Johan Lundberg
"It's very important for us to get an external view of our business
The competencies and experience of the IAEA team enable it to effectively identify our areas for improvement
The results of this mission will help us to improve our activities for safe LTO and to further align them with IAEA safety standards."
The team provided a draft report to the plant management and to the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (SSM)
the country's nuclear regulatory authority
SSM and the Swedish government within three months
Offtake will be used for fuelling hydrogen-powered traffic
OKG, owner and operator of the Oskarshamn nuclear power station in Sweden has signed an agreement with Hynion for the delivery of clean hydrogen from the Oskarshamn-3 reactor
Hynion is a company which specialises in hydrogen refuelling stations throughout Sweden
It said the partnership will increase the availability of hydrogen and prepare for increasing hydrogen-powered traffic in not only Sweden but wider Scandinavia a statement said
The partnership represents “a crucial part of Hynion’s strategy to reduce dependence on individual suppliers”
has used electricity produced by Oskarshamn to produce hydrogen through electrolysis of water since 1992
This hydrogen was initially produced to meet the nuclear power plant's own needs
It was added to the reactor coolant of the station’s three boiling water reactors to reduce the risk of stress corrosion cracking of the reactor piping by reducing the amount of free oxygen in the coolant
Units 1 and 2 at Oskarshamn were permanently shut down in 2017 and 2016 respectively
so the hydrogen produced at the facility is now only needed for Unit 3
Hynion has hydrogen refuelling stations in a number of Swedish regions
Transport group MaserFrakt recently agreed to refuel its first hydrogen-powered trucks at Hynion’s Swedish facilities
can be used as a fuel for most transport applications
but is particularly well suited to larger vehicles where batteries are less viable
The Hydrogen UK industry group says hydrogen is expected in future to be the dominant choice for heavy good vehicles
trains and larger vans and cars that have high utilisation or require longer ranges
OKG said outages amounted to 26 days in 2021
which gave an annual availability factor of 92% in 2021
Oskarshamn-3 began commercial operation in 1985 and is scheduled to continue operation until 2045
Two other older units at the site were closed in 2016 and 2017 over concerns about their economic viability
Sweden has five more commercial reactors in operation at two other nuclear stations: two at Ringhals
GEH began the dismantling and segmentation of the reactor internals of unit 2 in 2017, completing the task in January this year. The company recently completed the segmentation of unit 1's internals
cutting and packing the reactor internals for final disposal
All handling and segmentation work was carried out underwater using the GEH Primary Segmentation System
our experienced team was able to complete its work on both OKG units on schedule and on budget," said GEH President and CEO Jay Wileman
Although not part of the contract with GEH
the reactor pressure vessels of the units will also need to be segmented
will mark the start of large-scale decommissioning and demolition of Oskarshamn 1 and 2
German utility EOn - which owns a 54.5% stake in OKG - decided in October 2015 that Oskarshamn 1 and 2 would be shut down permanently
At that time it said unit 1 would close between 2017 and 2019
there would be no future investments at unit 2 and the reactor will not be restarted
OKG announced the decision to shut down Oskarshamn 1 in conjunction with a planned outage at the end of June 2017
while Oskarshamn 2 is a 638 MWe BWR which began operating in 1974
Oskarshamn 3 is a 1400 MWe BWR which began operating in 1985
GEH announced that it is to decommission the reactor internals and reactor pressure vessel at the Pilgrim nuclear power plant in Massachusetts
USA under a contract awarded by Holtec International and SNC-Lavalin joint venture Comprehensive Decommissioning International
the company was awarded a contract by CDI to decommission reactor internals and the reactor pressure vessel at the Oyster Creek plant in New Jersey
US-based GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) has been awarded a three-year contract to dismantle the reactor internals of units 1 and 2 at the Oskarshamn nuclear power plant in Sweden
Under a contract signed with plant operator OKG AB on 19 December
North Carolina-based GEH will segment the reactor pressure vessel internals of both units
Segmentation of the reactor internals of Oskarshamn 2 is scheduled to begin in January 2018
The segmentation project is expected to be completed by the beginning of 2020
executive vice president of GEH's nuclear services business
said today: "This is a breakthrough project for us in the decommissioning space in Europe and we look forward to drawing upon the many resources of the 'GE Store'
including the depth of the global supply chain of GE and the former Alstom power businesses to deliver superior safety and cost efficient performance for our customer."
German utility EOn - the major shareholder in OKG - decided in October 2015 that Oskarshamn 1 and 2 will be shut down permanently
"One condition required in order for Oskarshamn unit 3 to be able to produce climate-efficient electricity until the year 2045 is that we perform the decommissioning activities at units 1 and 2 in a safe and cost-efficient manner," said OKG managing director Johan Dasht
"One of the milestones of this work has now been reached with the signing of this contract."
Researched and writtenby World Nuclear News
The safety modernization of unit 2 of Sweden's Oskarshamn nuclear power plant is now expected to be completed by the end of 2015
OKG said the reason for the further delay in completion of the project is "greater precision in the estimate of the time required for the remaining works and additional analytical works."
OKG announced it had decided to postpone the uprate work to allow it to focus on the ongoing safety work
The company then said last June it intends to implement the power increase during 2017
as the modernization of safety systems at Oskarshamn 2 has progressed
"there is greater awareness of how long the remaining measures are expected to take." The company estimates that the unit will resume operations in nine months
"This is clearly a miscalculation compared with the original time estimate for these works."
Safety modernization work being carried out at the 638 MWe boiling water reactor (BWR) is the penultimate stage of a major SEK 8 billion ($920 million) modernization program which includes a planned 185 MWe power uprate at the plant
The current phase of work involving electricity and control systems has been described by OKG as the most extensive
in the whole program but has encountered delays thanks to the 'unique and sophisticated challenge' of recabling the facility
some 800 tonnes of new components will have been installed in the plant and more than 100 kilometres of cable will have been laid
A large volume of this cable has now been laid
while a new control room and simulator have been installed
"The focus from now on will primarily be on commissioning
OKG managing director Johan Svenningsson said
"Neither the underestimate of the complexity of the ongoing works nor the additional works mean that there is less confidence that it will be possible to achieve the project's ultimate objective." He added
"We now have the very extensive installation work behind us and are moving into the final phase of the project
This is where we will primarily be conducting the comprehensive trials and tests to verify that the plant satisfies the requirements for a modernized nuclear power plant."
there are always very strict demand on safety and quality in implementation
according to the revised schedule of 20 December
we will have moved from a level that was already high to an exceptionally high level in terms of the plant's safety."
OKG has long operated a facility at the Oskarshamn site which uses electricity from the power plant to produce hydrogen through the electrolysis of water
this hydrogen was added to the reactor coolant of the plant's three boiling water reactors in order to reduce the risk of stress corrosion cracking of the reactor piping by reducing the amount of free oxygen in the coolant
As this hydrogen is now only required for use in unit 3 of the Oskarshamn plant following the permanent closure of units 1 and 2 in June 2017 and December 2016
the plant now has an overcapacity for hydrogen
The hydrogen plant at Oskarshamn - built in 1992 - is currently being modernised
including the installation of a new control system and the replacement of other components
It's current capacity is 12 kg of hydrogen per hour
an OKG spokesperson told World Nuclear News that Linde will first use the hydrogen "in the green transition of the Swedish industry
but also for the supply to its existing customer base."
OKG CEO Johan Lundberg said: "Initially
But we have expertise as well as plant and infrastructure
and I see a very good potential to expand this business
The need for hydrogen will increase gradually
and we have received strong support from our owners Uniper and Fortum to develop this business opportunity."
"Our ambition is to develop the growing market for hydrogen together with Fortum," said Uniper Sweden CEO Johan Svenningsson
"The Swedish electricity system is virtually fossil-free
and we therefore have good conditions for producing large volumes of hydrogen
which will play an important role when Sweden changes."
Oskarshamn will be the first municipality in Sweden that can offer fossil-free hydrogen produced by nuclear power
"We know how important the role is that hydrogen will play for Sweden
but also that we as a municipality should be able to meet our climate requirements," said Andreas Erlandsson
"I can see that the hydrogen gas produced at OKG can also be useful in the long-run in Oskarshamn when we change our industries and transports."
A team of experts from The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has completed a review of long-term operational safety at unit 3 of the Oskarshamn NPP in Sweden
The Pre-SALTO (Safety Aspects of Long-Term Operation) review mission was requested by the plant’s operator
The 1400MWe boiling water reactor at Oskarshamn 3 was put into commercial operation in 1985 with a design life of 40 years
The Pre-SALTO (Safety Aspects of Long-Term Operation) review mission was requested by the plant’s operator
The SALTO team assessed the strategy and key elements for the safe long-term operation of the plant based on IAEA safety standards
During the 10-day mission that ended on 8 September
the team reviewed the plant’s preparedness
The nine-person team comprised experts from Argentina
as well as two IAEA staff members.
“The team observed that OKG Aktiebolag is implementing preparations for safe LTO in a timely manner and the staff at the plant are professional
open and receptive to suggestions for improvement,” said team leader and IAEA Nuclear Safety Officer Martin Marchena
“Some ageing management and LTO activities already meet IAEA safety standards
We encourage the plant to address the review findings and implement all remaining activities for safe LTO as planned.”
“We appreciate the IAEA’s support to our plant in ageing management and preparation for safe LTO,” said Johan Lundberg
“It’s very important for us to get an external view of our business
The results of this mission will help us to improve our activities for safe LTO and to further align them with IAEA safety standards.”
The team also provided recommendations to further enhance the preparations for LTO safety:
The plant management expressed a determination to address the areas identified for improvement
Pro Hockey Rumors
October 29, 2023 at 5:29 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson Leave a Comment
IK Oskarshamn of the Swedish Hockey League announced they’ve signed forward Austin Wagner for the remainder of the 2023-24 season
Wagner had attended NHL training camp on a PTO with the Penguins
and while he was never officially released from his tryout
he did not sign a standard contract with Pittsburgh
Wagner has split his time in the pro leagues almost evenly in the NHL and AHL since turning pro in 2017
A 2015 fourth-round draft choice of the Kings
Wagner has 178 games of NHL experience dating back to 2018
recording 23 goals and 19 assists for 42 points
After giving the Kings some solid depth production while on his entry-level deal
his effectiveness diminished after signing a three-year
a deal that he played most of in the minors
While slated for restricted free agency last summer
the Blackhawks did not issue him a qualifying offer after acquiring him via trade from the Kings on deadline day in March
who has five goals and nine assists for 14 points in 14 contests
Pittsburgh Penguins| SHL| Transactions Austin Wagner
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the site of one of the world's largest nuclear reactors
to shut down by clogging the pipes conducting cool water to the turbines
Operators of the plant on the Baltic coast in south-east Sweden had to scramble reactor No 3 on Sunday after tons of jellyfish were caught in the pipes
the pipes were cleared of the jellyfish and engineers were preparing to restart the 1,400MWe boiling water reactor
All three Oskharshamn reactors are boiling-water types, the same technology used for Japan's Fukushima Daiichi plant
which suffered a catastrophic failure in 2011 after a tsunami breached the facility's walls and flooded equipment
Jellyfish are not a new problem for nuclear power plants
the Diablo Canyon facility in California had to shut its reactor 2 after sea salp
the first unit at Oskarshamn was turned off temporarily due to a sudden influx of jellyfish
Nuclear power plants need a constant flow of water to cool their reactors and turbine systems
which is why many plants are built near large bodies of water
Marine biologists said they would not be surprised if more jellyfish shutdowns occurred in the future
"It's true that there seems to be more and more of these extreme cases of blooming jellyfish," said Lene Moller
a researcher at the Swedish Institute for the Marine Environment
"But it's very difficult to say if there are more jellyfish
because there is no historical data."
The species that caused the Oskarshamn shutdown is known as the common moon jellyfish
"It's one of the species that can bloom in extreme areas that … are over-fished or have bad conditions," said Moller
"The moon jelly likes these types of waters
they don't care if the oxygen concentration is low
The fish leave … and [the moon jelly] can really take over the ecosystem."
Moller said the biggest problem was that there was no monitoring of jellyfish in the Baltic sea to produce the data scientists needed for decisions on tackling the issue
21 Jun (NucNet): Sweden's 473-MW Oskarshamn-1 nuclear reactor unit was shut down permanently on 17 June 2017 after 45 years of commercial operation
a boiling water reactor that started commercial operation in February 1972
is Sweden’s oldest commercial power reactor
a majority of OKG's shareholders voted to close Oskarshamn-1 between 2017 and 2019
OKG said the final shutdown of Oskarshamn-1 was officially scheduled for 29 June 2017
but an “operational disturbance” caused the unit to shut down automatically on 17 June 2017
OKG decided at an extraordinary meeting on 19 June not to restart the unit
with only ten days left until the final shutdown date
OKG said Oskarshamn-1 produced about 110 billion kWh throughout its operational lifetime
OKG said it expects to complete spent nuclear fuel removal by the end of 2018 or beginning of 2019
There are three boiling water reactors at Oskarshamn
OKG has also decided to shut the 638-MW Oskarshamn-2 ahead of schedule
the shutdown schedule has not been confirmed yet
began commercial operation in 1985 and is scheduled to continue operation until 2045
OKG previously said it will not be affected by the early closures of the other two units
Sweden’s 10 reactors in commercial operation produced 40% of the country’s electricity in 2016
Gustaf Westlund Signs with IK Oskarshamn in SHL4/7/2023 10:00:27 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
IK Oskarshamn Release
a captain for the Ohio State men’s hockey team
has signed a two-year contract with IK Oskarshamn in the Swedish Hockey League
Westlund was a fifth-year senior in 2022-23
He was injured in the fifth game of the year Oct
14 and did not play again until late March
when he made his return to the lineup in the NCAA Tournament Bridgeport Regional
In his first game since October because of injury
captain Gustaf Westlund with a goal for the Buckeyes
ESPNU#GoBucks #NCAAHockey @GustafWestlund @wisey871 pic.twitter.com/Uo4l6xTg2Y
— Ohio State Men's Hockey (@OhioStateMHKY) March 24, 2023
Proud of our captain Goose for his hard work and dedication. #GoBucks #NCAAHockey @GustafWestlund pic.twitter.com/kl3JmXniIg
— Ohio State Men's Hockey (@OhioStateMHKY) March 25, 2023
In his five-year career with the Scarlet and Gray Westlund saw action in 129 games and had 75 points, with 33 goals and 42 assists. He wore the captain’s ‘C’ the last two seasons and was an alternate captain as a junior in 2020-21. Westlund earned a spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team in 2019 and helped the Buckeyes to the Big Ten regular season title that year. He was on two Buckeye squads that earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
Westlund is a five-time Ohio State Scholar-Athlete and a four-time Academic All-Big Ten selection.
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Plant operator OKG AB awarded GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) a contract in December 2016 to dismantle the reactor internals of units 1 and 2 at the Oskarshamn plant (O1 and O2)
All the segmentation work is being carried out underwater
GEH has now completed segmentation work on the reactors internals of Oskarshamn 2 and segmentation of those of unit 1 is set to begin early this year
The segmentation project is expected to be completed by the beginning of next year
GEH said the segmentation was mainly conducted using the Primary Segmentation System that was designed by REI Nuclear
"This is a historical milestone for the decommissioning of OKG units 1 and 2," OKG CEO and Managing Director Johan Dasht said
"Removal and disposal of reactor internals takes place directly after defueling of the units in order to simplify further decommissioning and improve the environment in the plant."
said: "We supported our customer with strong project execution and completed this work on schedule and on budget
we will continue to support our customers throughout the nuclear power plant lifecycle."
which is expected to start next year, will mark the start of large-scale decommissioning and demolition of O1 and O2
EOn spun off of its non-renewable assets into Uniper in January 2016
Uniper announced last month a "long-term and common strategy" for the demolition of Barsebäck and Oskarshamn nuclear power plants in Sweden
The total cost of decommissioning the Barsebäck and Oskarshamn units is estimated to be SEK10.0 billion (USD1.1 billion)
But apparently, that’s exactly what happened in Oskarshamn, Sweden, on Sunday, when plant operators had to shut down Sweden’s biggest nuclear reactor after a huge swarm of Aurelia aurita
swam into the cooling water inlet and blocked it
The individual creatures range between 2 and 15 inches in diameter
“This situation is caused by a huge amount of jellyfish,” the plant’s press officer, Anders Österberg, told Bloomberg News in an email
The number 3 unit at the Oskarshamn Nuclear Power Plant
a 1,400 megawatt unit that supplies about 5 percent of Sweden’s electricity needs
is now in the process of being restarted and will be back at full power this week
“The aim is to slowly start a couple of the cooling water pumps in order to drain the inlet pond of jellyfish and see that they are all distributed back to the sea,” Österberg told Bloomberg
“When the amount of jellyfish is reduced to an acceptable level
While a jellyfish-induced outage might seem like a freak event
the creatures have caused problems numerous times at nuclear plants before
Oskarshamn’s number 1 unit had to be shut down in August 2005 because of a similar outbreak of the aquatic creatures
clogging the intake pipes with five tons of dead fish in the canal over a 24-hour period and triggering an unplanned shutdown
said an interview Tuesday that such incidents don’t pose a safety threat
but do interfere with the coastal plants’ operations
heat from the reactors turns water into steam
which then is used to turn the turbines that generate electricity
the steam is cooled and converted back into liquid by running it through a device called a condenser
where the heat is drawn off by a flow of cool water from the ocean
The channels through which that cooling water flows generally have debris screens
When that cooling water stops flowing through the screens
the turbines can’t run properly and must be shut down
The reactors themselves usually are shut down as well—not because of any danger
“I don’t know that I could quantify the number of jellyfish” required to shut down a plant
“But it is a situation that occurs from time to time.”
Burrell said there isn’t any way to prevent jellyfish incursions
but he said that the problem usually be fixed by running water in reverse through the system
divers may also go into the channels and clean the screens by hand
Copyright © 1996-2015 National Geographic SocietyCopyright © 2015-2025 National Geographic Partners
German utility Eon has decided that units 1 and 2 of the Oskarshamn nuclear power plant in Sweden will be shut down permanently
of which the EOn group is the major shareholder
owns and operates the three Oskarshamn units that together account for 10% of total electricity generation in Sweden
The announcement followed an extraordinary shareholders' meeting held earlier today and is in line with the "policy decision" EOn communicated in July
EOn said unit 1 would close between 2017 and 2019 and unit 2 by 2020
Minority owner Fortum has said it opposes the early shutdown of the units
"This is naturally a tremendously sad decision for me as well as for our employees," OKG managing director Johan Svenningsson said
"Any immediate dismissal notices due to the decision on the shutdown are not considered necessary in the short term
but planning has been initiated regarding adjusting the organisation based on the conditions that we now have to adapt to
Such a process will obviously be handled in a responsible manner with focus on safety."
There will be no future investments at unit 2 and the reactor will not be restarted
Operation of unit 1 will proceed in accordance with the established plan
meaning a decision on its shutdown will be made when the time schedule for the decommissioning phase has been prepared
The exact date when the unit will be permanently shut down is thus not yet established
Unit 3 is "considered able to continue the production of climate-friendly electricity during its entire technical lifetime"
Svenningsson added: "There will still be major development possibilities at OKG
particularly now when we will have three nuclear facilities in three entirely different phases of the life cycle
In order to have maximum safety in all situations
we need employees with special competence and qualifications."
OKG stressed that EOn's decision is not based on safety related reasons
but on continuously low wholesale electricity prices
the burden of Sweden's tax on nuclear power and "additional requirements on extensive investments"
"there are no prospects of generating financial profitability either in the short or the long term" at either unit 1 or 2
the European Court of Justice ruled that Sweden can continue to tax nuclear power production
deciding that the levy does not fall within the scope of two European Council Directives and is therefore a national
OKG AB had first contested the tax in 2009 in the Swedish courts
EOn's statement in July on unit 1 and 2 came just days after OKG applied for an environmental court ruling in preparation for the future decommissioning of Oskarshamn unit 1
a 473 MWe boiling water reactor (BWR) that started up in 1972
Oskarshamn 2 is a 638 MWe BWR which began operating in 1974
The Swedish nuclear regulator believes that improvements instigated by operator OKG can overcome safety culture shortcomings at Oskarshamn
but has instructed the company to supply six-monthly progress reports
the three-unit plant has been operating under special supervision from the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (SSM) after the regulator decided that actions taken by OKG to address weaknesses identified in 2011 had been insufficient
The regulator gave OKG until August 2013 to provide a detailed action plan of measures to address its concerns
The SSM has now completed its assessment of OKG's plans and says it believes that the company has the potential to overcome the problems identified by the regulator in five different areas relevant to safety culture at the plant
it has directed OKG to submit six-monthly progress reports starting from 1 March 2014 until the regulator decides there are sufficient grounds to reconsider the special operating conditions imposed on the plant
OKG managing director Johan Svenningsson said the positive feedback from the SSM was "important proof that we are on the right track with our improvement work."
Oskarshamn's three boiling water reactors account for about 10% of Sweden's electricity generation
Oskarshamn 1 is Sweden's smallest reactor and also the longest operating
The unit is currently operating at about 80% of its capacity because of turbine problems
Unit 2 is slightly larger at 638 MWe and has been operating since 1974
Unit 3 is one of the country's newest reactors
and was uprated to 1450 MWe in 2011 after extensive modernisation
Oskarshamn 2 is also undergoing extensive modernisation under a long-term program
and has been in a planned outage since June
It is expected to remain off line until April 2014
the company pointed to Oskarshamn 3's exemplary performance in 2013: the unit is on track for record-breaking production for the year despite a recent outage when a large number of jellyfish were found in the unit's cooling water intake
broke their slump and snatched two wins during the week
the World Junior players were back in action
Here's what went down.IK Oskarshamn entered last week with a massive 16 game losing streak
that streak came to an end as they steamrolled Brynäs 6-1 at home
After having a 2-1 lead in the first intermission
Oskarshamn scored four more goals to demolish Brynäs and two days later
they looked to be well on their way to a new massive win
Oskarshamn opened the scoring 20 seconds into the game through a nice shot by recent acquisition Max Veronneau
Already 33 seconds later they almost went up 2-0 but a massive Niklas Svedberg save stopped that attempt
Oskarshamn did however increase the lead as time went on and they were up 3-0 before Djurgården came back to tie it
scored the game winner with about five minutes to go
But Oskarshamn came back down to Earth Saturday as they lost 7-3 in Luleå
After their 3-1 loss at home to Malmö Monday
becoming the first coach of the season to get the axe
where assistants Dennis Eriksson and Johan Åkerman together with Niclas Hävelid have been given the reigns
but couldn't keep it going and lost all three; 7-4 to Örebro
The aforementioned Djurgården also went through a difficult week
losing all three games and not looking very good in the process
the lost the second game in Växjö on overtime before falling to Oskarshamn before a heavy 6-1 loss to Brynäs Saturday
Among the teams winning most of their games
With every team playing three games last week
eight teams won two out of their three outings: Växjö
with Frölunda shadowing - one point behind
Växjö (third with 58 pts) lead a pack of three teams hunting the top
Linköping are in trouble being last with 27 points
one point behind Brynäs who's got a massive five games in hand
we find Emil Pettersson of Växjö still topping the scoring with 35 points
followed by Carter Camper (Leksand) with 33
Two more have 30+ points to their name so far; Daniel Zaar (Rögle) has 31 and Marek Hrivík of Leksand has scored an even 30
And looking at the scoring in the past week
it is easy to see why Oskarshamn broke their slump; John Dahlström had the most points last week
he scored four goals and added three assist
and the 23 year old forward extended his point streak to four games in the process (4-4--8 points)
The World Junior Championship players were back in action and Elmer Söderblom (Frölunda) scored his first SHL goal ever in the 3-0 win against Färjestad Saturday
Goalie Jesper Wallstedt of Luleå saved all 21 shots against that very Frölunda team on Thursday (3-0 win)
but the story of Fabian Lysell is worth bringing up; Lysell scored his first SHL goal ever in the same game
Lysell left the Frölunda U20 team in November to move to Luleå and what better place to score his first ever SHL goal than in his former home
Janne Juvonen (Leksand) and Viktor Fasth (Växjö) earned a shutout during the week
Fasth had his fourth shutout of the season
putting him in "first" place in terms of shutouts
With Covid 19 still making its way through the world
That gives us a home-and-home between Örebro and Djurgården Thursday and Saturday
Will we se feelings carry over between the games
truck body maker Scania has automated 95% of its body shop in Oskarshamn
Though highly automated for mass production
the plant’s automation technology also supports extensive customization
By the time these truck cabs reach the end of the assembly line
Scania is able to do this by approaching its automation strategy from an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) point of view
supported by automation products from Festo
has been using robots to assemble customized truck cabs to order in Oskarshamn since 2016
vehicle transporters deliver them to the Scania assembly plants in Sodertalje near Stockholm
Zwolle in the Netherlands and Angers in France
where they are assembled to create a finished truck chassis
Swedish occupational health and safety regulations have made it impossible to use hand-held welding equipment
These regulations evolved as welding tools became too heavy and unwieldy for humans to handle
safety directives require a minimum distance between the welding gun and the operator because of radiation
robots now place the truck panel parts on joining stations and weld them
Employees are responsible for loading the stations and monitoring the machines
The banning of manual welding from the assembly workshop has benefitted Scania in two ways— better processes and quality
To make full use of its automation technology
Scania has set up a training division where employees learn how to use the robots and automation technology
All the trucks that Scania builds weigh more than 16 tons
Many of these special vehicles are used for fire services or waste collection
These niche markets alone account for hundreds of thousands of variants
The Scania factory has many key features associated with the IIoT
such as mass production of customized vehicles
adaptability and flexibility thanks to control technology
and industrial energy efficiency and safety solutions
A key aspect of Scania’s IIoT approach involves the modularity of automation technology
Modular standardization for manufacturers is critical
explains Forsberg because “plant operators need to be able to rely on proven automation products and avoid unnecessary stocking of spare parts.”
The Scania plant uses pneumatically actuated devices to clamp truck cab panel parts and weld them
Welding robots require compressed air to move the welding guns and clamp the metal sheets
Cooling water protects the welding systems against overheating
Scania uses Festo systems for supplying compressed air and cooling water for the welding guns
these systems are integrated into the safety fence for ease of operation
The valve manifold provides diagnostic data via the CPX automation platform and can be used to monitor the system as part of predictive maintenance “We can replace components before they fail and paralyze entire parts of the system,” says Kreutner
“We were also impressed by the valve manifold’s safety concept,” explains Forsberg
“The CPX makes it possible to operate different pressure zones and to exhaust areas when intervention is required
We can check affected system parts using mobile panels and don’t have to search the entire system for errors
which can be like looking for a needle in a haystack
And re-pressurizing individual system parts is much more energy efficient than starting up the entire system.”
Because the welding gun electrodes become blunt as they are used
they have to be milled to ensure spot welding is consistently accurate
Festo developed a pivoted arm to Scania’s and ABB’s specifications to bring an electrode milling device to the welding gun electrodes after 150 spot welds have been completed
The pivoted arm is precisely positioned by Festo DNCE electric cylinders and powered by a Festo EMMS stepper motor
Using this combination of technologies made it possible for Festo to cut milling cycle times by more than half
The Festo control cabinet for electrode milling comprises the CMMS (computerized maintenance management system)
which communicates with the motor controllers and the primary robot controller
Safety has increased as result of using this system
“since plant operators no longer have to enter the robot cells after milling to adjust the electrodes to the correct position for the spot welds,” explains Leif Lindahl
former key account manager for Scania at Festo
The Oskarshamn factory has set a precedent for Scania
which plans to build a similar factory in Sao Paulo
Unit 2 of the Oskarshamn nuclear power plant in Sweden would close by 2020
with unit 1 shutting between 2017 and 2019
under a proposal announced today by majority owner EOn
Minority owner Fortum opposes the early shutdown of the units
said there is a "lack of economic opportunities" for investment in the operation of Oskarshamn 2 beyond 2020
It is therefore calling on the board of OKG to begin the decision making process for the closure of both units 1 and 2
Oskarshamn 2 - a 638 MWe boiling water reactor (BWR) which began operating in 1974 - has been "in great need of modernization and replacement of components to extend its operating life." It added
"It would require large investments to Oskarshamn 2 to meet new requirements for core cooling which take effect after 2020."
EOn's decision comes just days after OKG applied for an environmental court ruling in preparation for the future decommissioning of Oskarshamn unit 1
EOn said that the closure date for unit 1 remains uncertain "but is estimated to occur sometime in the period 2017-2019"
It noted the exact timing will depend on how the environmental assessment process goes and is also subject to a decision by the OKG board
"The conditions for the electricity market have changed significantly in recent years
Historically and permanently low electricity prices
combined with increased output tax on nuclear power
and additional requirements for extensive investments create profitability issues
particularly for small reactors such as Oskarshamn 2."
"With the current economic and political conditions
the trend is clear - we will see fewer but larger reactors
Oskarshamn 3 - which is one of Sweden's largest reactors
producing more electricity than both units 1 and 2 together - will therefore have a strategic importance for stability in Sweden's electricity supply for a long time to come."
Between them the three units at Oskarshamn generate about 10% of Sweden's electricity
Finland's Fortum - owner of the remaining 45% of OKG - says it would prefer the continued operation of the two older Oskarshamn units
Fortum executive vice president for nuclear and thermal power Tiina Tuomela said
we believe that it is possible to continue production from Oskarshamn units 1 and 2 until the end of their planned operational lifetimes."
"The recent modernization investments in Oskarshamn 2 have been carried out with a target to continue production until the end of the unit's lifetime and with increased capacity
as well as our strong expertise as a nuclear operator and a global service provider
we see that there are other measures [that could be] taken to ensure safe and reliable production at Oskarshamn 2 till the end of its planned lifetime."
"Continuing production at Oskarshamn 1 and 2 would be beneficial for all parties
It would give more time to increase CO2-free energy production and to secure energy supply for the Swedish industry and society as a whole."
A formal decision by OKG's board of directors on whether the proposed closure will be implemented or not is expected to be taken later this year
EOn noted the exact timing of decisions will depend on forthcoming negotiations with trade unions
Fortum said that once the OKG has made a decision on the early closures it will then assess the impacts of that decision
OKG's Oskarshamn 3 has reached its new maximum thermal capacity
two years later than originally anticipated
Solutions still have to be found for some of the turbine problems that contributed to the delay
the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (SSM)
has ordered checks of safety systems at all three of the country's operating nuclear power plants after welding residues were found in the reactor containment sprinkler system at two units at the Ringhals plant
Scrap from welding work was found in the Ringhals 2 sprinkler system earlier this year
after a fire during a maintenance and refuelling outage
while unit 3 has been taken off line so that the sprinkler system can be checked
Checks will be carried out at unit 1 during a scheduled outage due to begin on 25 September
The SSM says that it will not permit the Ringhals units to restart until it has received the results of the reviews
and has now ordered that OKG and Forsmark AB carry out checks at Oskarshamn and Forsmark to make sure they are not suffering from similar problems
The regulatory order does not place any restrictions on reactor operation at those plants
The utility said the strategy is "intended to create logistical and economic coordination benefits between the two ongoing projects
which will be implemented primarily in the 2020s."
The total cost of decommissioning the Barsebäck and Oskarshamn units is estimated at SEK10.0 billion (USD1.1 billion)
"With Uniper's chosen strategy we can gather
coordinate and integrate the two projects," said Johan Svenningsson
The basic idea is to take advantage of all the skills and experiences we have - not least from Germany where Uniper already completed the demolition of nuclear power plants."
"The Barsebäck plant has served Swedish society well with stable and fossil-free power generation," said Barsebäck Kraft AB CEO Åsa Carlson
"The chosen strategy is a boost for our organisation
Dismantling and demolition of closed reactors is one of the major industrial projects implemented in Sweden
where our project is to be coordinated with Sweden's radioactive waste management company's [SKB's] final disposal project and with other nuclear facilities."
"With a coordinated dismantling and demolition we get coordination gains with the new strategy," said OKG CEO Johan Dasht
"We will be able to take advantage of Barsebäck's experience and use the same resources with specialist competence for the radiological demolition of Oskarshamn units 1 and 2."
OKG awarded GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy a contract in December 2016 to dismantle the reactor internals of units 1 and 2 at the Oskarshamn plant
All the segmentation work is to be carried out underwater
The two ABB-designed boiling water reactors (BWRs) at Barsebäck
about 30 kilometers from Malmö in southern Sweden
The two 600 MWe reactors - which began operating in 1975 and 1977 - were shut down early because of political pressure from neighbouring Denmark
which contained most of the radioactive substances
has already been removed from the Barsebäck plant
Reactor vessels and other major parts must be disassembled and transported away before the buildings themselves are dismantled
segment and package the reactor pressure vessel internals for final disposal is currently being undertaken by Westinghouse
German utility EOn spun off of its non-renewable assets into Uniper in January 2016
EOn - the major shareholder in OKG - decided in October 2015 that Oskarshamn 1 and 2 would be shut down permanently
OKG announced the decision to shut down Oskarshamn 1 in conjunction with a planned outage at the end of June last year
OKG said it has not yet been decided what will happen to the land on which units 1 and 2 are located once they have been demolished
The company said it may even consider the construction of new nuclear units on the land or at least an extension to the operating life of unit 3
"Oskarshamn 3 is an extremely important facility for the stability of the Swedish electricity system
and I do not exclude a lifetime extension in the future - if it is reasonable from a safety perspective and an economic perspective," Svenningsson said
"Through more fossil-free nuclear power in the Swedish electricity system
we can reduce fossil emissions in northern Europe."
The King and Queen visited Kalmar County to highlight initiatives being carried out in connection with the Covid-19 pandemic
The King and Queen meet young ice hockey players during their visit to Kalmar County
The King and Queen were welcomed by County Governor Peter Sandwall who
On their way to the first visit of the day
the County Governor and County Director Eva Brynolf described the pandemic situation in the county
The King and Queen were welcomed by Chair of the Municipal Executive Board Anders Johansson
representatives from Region Kalmar spoke about the work being carried out by the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences and the county's vaccination centres
Managers and employees from Solhem then talked about the care home
which opened just before the pandemic in 2020
and the building also includes a preschool with the aim of encouraging interactions between children and the elderly
Solhem has been affected by both the ban on visitors and the Covid-19 pandemic
The King and Queen spoke to some of the residents
The King and Queen greet residents during their visit to the Solhem care home in Mönsterås
Children from Solhem's preschool greet The King and Queen during their visit to Mönsterås
The King and Queen spoke to Ulrica Bennesved
Regional Manager at the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise
who described the business climate in the county and how it has been affected by the pandemic
The King and Queen were greeted by Andreas Erlandsson
Chair of Oskarshamn Municipal Executive Board
The King and Queen spoke with the restaurant's owner Anmol Rattan about running a business during the pandemic
At the Nova education centre in Oskarshamn
The King and Queen learnt about the school's operations
and arranges post-upper secondary education in collaboration between academia
Linnaeus University's Pro-Vice-Chancellor was also present
and spoke about the university's challenges and solutions in terms of providing education during the pandemic
The King and Queen on their way to Nova Oskarshamn
together with County Governor Peter Sandwall and head teacher Bengt Karlsson Moberg
The King and Queen met Oskarshamn Ice Hockey Club's manager Martin Åkerberg
who presented the club's activities and explained how – like all other sports clubs in Sweden – it has had to adapt its activities in line with the restrictions introduced during the pandemic
He spoke about how cancelling training has affected young people
and the introduction of rapid testing before matches and training sessions
The King and Queen also spoke with young ice hockey players
The King and Queen spoke with Örjan Molander
He talked about the museum's work during the pandemic and the future of its operations
The King and Queen also watched extracts from the film production '12 municipalities'
which the Camerata Nordica chamber orchestra had recorded during the year to reach a digital audience
The visit to Kalmar County concluded at Kalmar Cathedral
where Dean Peter Wänehag explained how the pandemic has affected everyone in society
and spoke about his hopes for the future once the pandemic is over
The King and Queen then listened to choral singing and lit candles
The King and Queen with Dean Peter Wänehag at Kalmar Cathedral
In connection with the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic
members of the Royal Family will be visiting Sweden's 21 counties at the initiative of HM The King
The first four visits took place in autumn 2020
but subsequent visits were postponed due to the second wave of the pandemic
The visit to Kalmar marked the resumption of visits to Sweden's counties during autumn 2021
The King hopes to show the Royal Family's solidarity with those who have been affected and to highlight local initiatives within different sectors of society
All visits will be adapted in view of the ongoing pandemic
and will be carried out in accordance with the Public Health Agency of Sweden's recommendations
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Studsvik has been awarded a contract by OKG for the treatment of metallic waste resulting from the modernization of unit 3 of the Oskarshamn nuclear power plant in Sweden. Most of the metal will be recycled.
Studsvik has been awarded a contract by OKG for the treatment of metallic waste resulting from the modernization of unit 3 of the Oskarshamn nuclear power plant in Sweden.
Energy TransitionWorld first for nuclear-powered pink hydrogen as commercial deal signed in SwedenIndustrial gases giant Linde to buy an undisclosed amount of the H2 produced at the Oskarshamn atomic power station owned by Uniper and Fortum
SKB’s applications for a permit to build a nuclear fuel repository in Forsmark and an encapsulation plant in Oskarshamn
have been examined by the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (SSM) and the Land and Environmental Court
They are now being reviewed by the government and will also need to be approved by the municipality of Östhammar
Oskarshamn City Council has already agreed to the encapsulation plant
SSM recommended in January 2018 that the repository and encapsulation plant plans should be approved.
SKB submitted the applications for licences to develop an encapsulation facility and a final repository for spent nuclear fuel in 2011.
SKB’s plan is for spent nuclear fuel to be encapsulated in copper and nodular cast iron at Oskarshamn before being transported to the final repository at Forsmark.
SKB said it hopes that construction of the facilities will start in the early 2020s with operation around 10 years later.
The survey was conducted by Novus from 800 telephone interviews between March 10 and April 9.
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Operators of the Oskarshamn nuclear plant in southeastern Sweden had to scramble reactor number three on Sunday after tons of jellyfish clogged the pipes that bring in cool water to the plant's turbines.
By Tuesday, the pipes had been cleaned of the jellyfish and engineers were preparing to restart the reactor, which at 1,400 megawatts of output is the largest boiling-water reactor in the world, said Anders Osterberg, a spokesman for OKG, the plant operator.
All three Oskharshamn reactors are boiling-water types, the same technology at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi plant that suffered a catastrophic failure in 2011 after a tsunami breached the facility's walls and flooded its equipment.
Jellyfish are not a new problem for nuclear power plants. Last year the California-based Diablo Canyon facility had to shut its reactor two after gobs of sea salp — a gelatinous, jellyfishlike organism — clogged intake pipes. In 2005, the first unit at Oskarshamn was temporarily turned off because of a sudden jellyfish influx.
Nuclear power plants need a constant flow of water to cool their reactor and turbine systems, which is why many such plants are built near large bodies of water.
Marine biologists, meanwhile, say they would not be surprised if more jellyfish shutdowns occur in the future.
"It's true that there seems to be more and more of these extreme cases of blooming jellyfish," said Lene Moller, a researcher at the Swedish Institute for the Marine Environment. "But it's very difficult to say if there are more jellyfish, because there is no historical data."
The species that caused the Oskarshamn shutdown is known as the common moon jellyfish.
"It's one of the species that can bloom in extreme areas that . . . are overfished or have bad conditions," said Moller. "The moon jelly likes these types of waters. They don't care if there are algae blooms, they don't care if the oxygen concentration is low. The fish leave . . . and (the moon jelly) can really take over the ecosystem."
Moller said the biggest problem was that there's no monitoring of jellyfish in the Baltic Sea to produce the data that scientists need to figure out how to tackle the issue.
Swedes have debated nuclear power for decades
but the energy source has garnered popular support recently amid the ongoing power crunch
A survey earlier this year suggested support for the use of nuclear power in Sweden is at record levels with 56% saying they support the construction of new reactors if needed
while only one out of 10 want to close nuclear power “through political decisions”
In June, Vattenfall said it will be starting work on a pilot study on the feasibility of deployment of at least two small modular reactor (SMR) units at the site of the Ringhals nuclear power station
The company also said it plans to invest about $215m (€220m) in its nuclear operations in Sweden to ensure plants remain well-equipped to supply 2stable and safe baseload power well into the future”
Sweden has six commercial nuclear power units in operation at three sites: Forsmark
According to International Atomic Energy Agency data
nuclear energy provided about a third of the country’s electricity generation in 2021
Vattenfall is majority owner of three operational reactors at Forsmark and two at Ringhals
Sweden’s other operational nuclear unit is Oskarshamn-3
According to the IAEA about 30 countries including Poland
the Philippines and Indonesia are considering
planning for or introducing nuclear power for the first time
the UK and South Africa are planning to add to their existing fleets
Construction programmes are underway in countries including China
A new simulator is nearing completion at unit 2 of the Oskarshamn nuclear power plant in Sweden
The simulator is part of a safety modernization of the unit started in mid-2013
Safety modernization work being carried out at the 638 MWe boiling water reactor is the penultimate stage of a major SEK 8 billion ($920 million) plant life extension (PLEX) program which includes a planned 185 MWe power uprate at the plant
a new control room and simulator have been installed
Work has now begun on the third and final stage of the simulator's implementation
This involves testing the simulator and verifying its systems and coding
This is expected to be completed within the next few months
The Swedish nuclear regulator requires operating staff to receive training in a work-like simulator
It is the task of Nuclear Safety and Training (Kärnkraftsäkerhet och Utbildning
KSU's project manager for PLEX education Martin Mansfield said
"The new control room means big changes for staff
changes that require training in a work-like environment
before the skilled work in the real control room can begin
For us to be able to train the staff we need to test the new code
validate the new control room environment and verify the most important steps that have changed or been added
which is about 350 pieces in the current situation."
Oskarshamn 2 is set to return to operation in late December
OKG earlier postponed the power uprate of the unit and now intends to implement it during 2017
Nuclear fuel management company SKB filed an application for a permit to build the repository in 2011 after the Forsmark site was chosen in 2009
The application also includes plans for an encapsulation plant in Oskarshamn
The encapsulation plant has already been approved by Oskarshamn municipality
The country’s nuclear regulator SSM recommended in January 2018 that the repository and encapsulation plant plans should be approved. The Land and Environment Court (MMD) has also reviewed the proposals
although it asked for supplementary information about the copper canisters to be used at the repository
SKB submitted this information to the government in April 2019
SKB sad the applications were reviewed by independent experts at the regulatory authorities and by several reviewing bodies
an international expert group also commented on long-term safety
“With this decision from Östhammar municipality and Oskarshamn municipality’s previous decision to agree to the encapsulation plant
the basis for a government decision is now in place,” SKB said
SSM and the MMD will be asked to set out conditions for the facilities
SKB’s plan is for spent nuclear fuel to be encapsulated in copper and nodular cast iron at Oskarshamn before being transported to the final repository at Forsmark
SKB said it hopes that construction of the facilities will start in the mid-2020s and take about 10 years to complete
SKB said final government approval would kick-start one of Sweden’s largest and most important environmental protection projects and trigger investments of approximately 19 billion Swedish kroner (€1.8bn)
The goal of the collaboration is the commercialisation of Sealer reactors in Sweden in the 2030s
has now awarded the partners SEK99 million towards building an electrically powered non-nuclear prototype Sealer plant at Oskarshamn for testing and verifying materials and technology
The 1:56 scale prototype will be operated for five years starting in 2024
carried out research on design and safety analysis on lead-cooled reactor systems since 1996
Sealer is a 3-10 MW lead-cooled fast reactor operating on 19.9.% enriched UO2 fuel
It was designed for commercial production of electricity in rural communities and mining operations
Small nuclear power plants hold the potential to replace diesel in such regions
They eliminate the need for onsite fuel-cycle operations through the use of a long-life core
LeadCold said the most important advantage of using liquid lead as coolant is that it allows the design to be highly compact format with “an outstanding set of safety features”
the Sealer technology can be of two types: one for Arctic applications and a second
The Arctic version would use 2.4 tonnes of 19.9% enriched uranium oxide fuel
giving it a core life of between 10 and 30 years
the Sealer 55 would need 21 tonnes of 12% enriched uranium nitride fuel for a rated power output of 55 MW
Full power core life is expected to be 25 years
The company has estimated the cost of a single mass produced Sealer 55 at about €200m including fuel costs.