The Swedish power group Vattenfall has decommissioned the Unit 1 of the Ringhals nuclear power plant in Sweden, after nearly 45 years of operation. The boiling water reactor (BWR) had entered operations on 1 January 1976, and its initial capacity had been raised over the years from 760 MW to 881 MW. It has generated a total of 220 TWh of electricity since its commissioning.
The Ringhals-1 and 2 nuclear reactors, rated 881 MW and 807 MW, respectively, were commissioned in 1976 and 1975, respectively. In September 2015, their shareholders, namely Vattenfall (70.4%) and E.ON (29.6% at this time; E.ON shares in the plant now belongs to Sydkraft, an affiliate of German company Uniper), reached an agreement to shut down the two reactors, due to lowering electricity prices and rising production costs in the coming years. The decision was announced by Vattenfall in April 2015 and required the approval of E.ON, which was contesting the early closure. Ringhals-2 was retired on 31 December 2019, after 44 years of operation and a cumulated power generation of 215 TWh.
Vattenfall's five other nuclear reactors Ringhals-3 and 4 (1,072 MW and 1,117 MW, respectively), and Forsmark-1, 2 and 3 (990 MW, 1,118 MW and 1,172 MW, respectively) will be operated for at least 60 years, until the early 2040s. In addition, investment plans for units-3 and 4 at Ringhals will not be affected and they should remain in operation until 2041 and 2043.
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