Vattenfall to select an SMR

Swedish energy company Vattenfall has decided to pursue small modular reactors (SMRs) to expand nuclear power generation. The company has shortlisted two suppliers: GE Vernova Hitachi’s 300 MW BWRX-300 and Rolls-Royce’s 500 MW SMR. The plan is to install 1.5 GW of new capacity on the Värö Peninsula near the Ringhals nuclear power plant by the early 2030s. This would require either five BWRX-300 units or three Rolls-Royce SMRs. According to Vattenfall, SMRs provide significant cost advantages by requiring less space, fewer staff, and simplified logistics compared with traditional large-scale reactors.