Fusion power

The plan's energy policy line is a strategy built on renewable electricity, and it explicitly rejects nuclear power expansion as a way out of fossil fuel dependence. A national fusion strategy intended to make Sweden a leader in nuclear technology points away from that prioritisation. At the same time the plan wants to see major joint investments in technology development and free research, which pulls in the other direction and makes the assessment uncertain.

• no to nuclear power expansiondecisive»planerna på att bygga ut kärnkraften som en väg ut ur fossilberoendet.« (party programme ↗)“plans to expand nuclear power as a way out of fossil fuel dependence.”
• renewable energy strategy»strategi som bygger på förnybar el och låga klimatutsläpp.« (party programme ↗)“strategy built on renewable electricity and low climate emissions.”
• joint technology investments»Vi vill se stora gemensamma satsningar på den teknikutveckling« (party programme ↗)“We want to see major joint investments in technology development”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The election manifesto establishes that no sacred cows apply when Sweden's energy needs are to be solved and that the party views positively initiatives that explore the potential in all energy sources. Adapting the regulatory framework for fusion energy and developing a national strategy is just such an initiative, and also aligns with the plan's desire for Swedish industrial and research leadership. Fusion energy is not mentioned in the plan.

• openness to all energy sourcesdecisive»Vi ser positivt på de initiativ som nu tas för att undersöka potentialen framåt i samtliga energislag.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We view positively the initiatives now being taken to explore the potential going forward in all energy sources.”
• technology-neutral energy policy»När det gäller att lösa Sveriges energibehov finns inga heliga kor.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“When it comes to solving Sweden's energy needs, there are no sacred cows.”
• nuclear power as part of electricity system»Kärnkraften är en viktig del av svensk elproduktion och kommer att så vara under lång tid framöver.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Nuclear power is an important part of Swedish electricity production and will remain so for a long time to come.”
• promoted research»Främjande av en fri kunskapssökande grundforskning.« (party programme ↗)“Promotion of free inquiry-based basic research.”

The plan's energy prioritisation is rapid expansion of renewables and energy efficiency, and it states that nuclear power takes too long in relation to how quickly emissions must decrease. A national fusion strategy with the aim of making Sweden a leader in nuclear power technology draws resources and attention from that prioritisation. The plan simultaneously values free research and new technology, which makes the conclusion uncertain.

• no to new nuclear powerdecisive»Miljöpartiet motsätter sig ny kärnkraft i svensk energiförsörjning.« (party programme ↗)“The Green Party opposes new nuclear power in Swedish energy supply.”
• too slow technology»Dessutom är ny kärnkraft dyrare och tar för lång tid att bygga ut i förhållande till hur snabbt de fossila utsläppen behöver minska.« (party programme ↗)“Moreover, new nuclear power is more expensive and takes too long to build in relation to how quickly fossil emissions need to decrease.”
• renewables first»Därutöver vill vi i Miljöpartiet se en snabb utbyggnad av förnybar energi som vindkraft« (party programme ↗)“Furthermore, in the Green Party we want to see rapid expansion of renewable energy such as wind power”
• free research»Miljöpartiet vill satsa på fri och oberoende forskning med både bredd och spets.« (party programme ↗)“The Green Party wants to invest in free and independent research with both breadth and depth.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan is built on the climate transition taking advantage of technology's possibilities and companies' innovation capacity, and establishes that regulations shall not brake green investments. Investigating how regulations can be adapted to fusion power's special conditions and drawing up a national fusion strategy is in line with this, since fusion is not the fission power the party programme's vision distances itself from. The plan does not mention fusion, so the position is derived.

• harness technologydecisive»För att övervinna klimathotet måste vi ta vara på teknikens möjligheter och företagens innovationskraft.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“To overcome the climate threat we must take advantage of technology's possibilities and companies' innovation capacity.”
• innovation against fossil dependence»Företagens innovationskraft är nödvändig för att Sverige och resten av världen ska bli kvitt sitt beroende av fossil energi och övervinna klimathotet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Companies' innovation capacity is necessary for Sweden and the rest of the world to be freed from fossil fuel dependence and overcome the climate threat.”
• adapted regulations»Klimatet kan inte vänta på dyra och krångliga regelverk.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Climate cannot wait for expensive and complicated regulations.”
• vision without nuclear power»där Centerpartiets vision är ett samhälle utan kärnkraft« (party programme ↗)“where the Centre Party's vision is a society without nuclear power”

The election manifesto promises that nuclear power regulations will be modernized and that new technology is part of the solution to the climate challenge, which directly supports the demand for regulations adapted to fusion power's conditions. The plan also wishes to increase research funding and establishes that continued research and development are needed in the nuclear technology field. An investigation and a national fusion strategy are therefore in line with the plan.

• modernized nuclear power regulationsdecisive»I stället vill vi möjliggöra fler nya reaktorer på fler ställen, möjliggöra återstart av Ringhals 1 och 2, se till att statliga lånegarantier omfattar kärnkraften, modernisera regelverken och ge kärnkraften betalt för att den alltid finns tillgänglig.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Instead we wish to enable more new reactors in more places, enable restart of Ringhals 1 and 2, ensure that state loan guarantees cover nuclear power, modernize the regulations and pay nuclear power for always being available.”
• new technology solves the climate challenge»Medan andra gröna partier grundades för att stoppa tillväxten vet vi att ny teknik och nya lösningar är en del av lösningen på klimatutmaningen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“While other green parties were founded to stop growth we know that new technology and new solutions are part of the solution to the climate challenge.”
• research on nuclear technology»Fortsatt forskning och utveckling behövs för att minimera riskerna vid drift samt hantering av bränsle och avfall.« (party programme ↗)“Continued research and development are needed to minimize risks in operation and handling of fuel and waste.”
• increased research funding»Vi vill öka forskningsanslagen och både skapa bättre karriärvägar för yngre forskare och se riktade satsningar på att svenska universitet ska kunna locka hit världens främsta forskare.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We wish to increase research funding and both create better career paths for younger researchers and see targeted efforts so that Swedish universities can attract the world's leading researchers.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The election manifesto commits to investing in nuclear power with long-term conditions for development, and the party programme requires major investments in energy research and energy technology development and that all good fossil-free energy sources be given conditions to compete. A regulatory framework adapted for fusion and a national fusion strategy are means for precisely this, and the plan wants Sweden to be at the forefront in research.

• investment in nuclear powerdecisive»Satsa på kärnkraften med långsiktiga villkor att utvecklas. Förläng befintliga reaktorers drift och bygg ut med nya reaktorer.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Invest in nuclear power with long-term conditions for development. Extend existing reactors' operation and build new reactors.”
• investments in energy research»krävs långsiktiga investeringar och att stora satsningar görs på energiforskning och« (party programme ↗)“requires long-term investments and that major investments be made in energy research and”
• all fossil-free energy sources»Därför behöver alla goda fossilfria kraftslag ges förutsättningar att« (party programme ↗)“Therefore all good fossil-free energy sources need to be given conditions to”
• Sweden at the forefront of research»Sverige måste därför ligga i främsta ledet när det gäller satsningar på forskning och« (party programme ↗)“Sweden must therefore be at the forefront when it comes to investments in research and”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The counter-proposal wants to investigate how regulations can be adapted to fusion power and develop a national fusion strategy. The plan uses the same method for new nuclear power: the Radiation Safety Authority shall receive resources to develop regulations, the ban on new reactor sites shall be removed and all fossil-free energy sources shall contribute. The party programme's confidence in technological development as a solution strengthens the conclusion.

• regulatory framework for new nuclear powerdecisive»Ge resurser till Strålsäkerhetsmyndigheten för att ta fram ett regelverk för ny kärnkraft« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Provide resources to the Radiation Safety Authority to develop a regulatory framework for new nuclear power”
• remove obstacles to nuclear technology»Avskaffa förbudet mot att bygga reaktorer på andra platser än vid de befintliga kärnkraftverken« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Abolish the ban on building reactors at locations other than the existing nuclear power plants”
• all fossil-free energy sources»Ska vi klara det behövs en elproduktion där alla fossilfria energikällor är med och bidrar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“In order to manage it we need power generation where all fossil-free energy sources contribute.”
• technological optimism»Moderaterna tror på framsteget och att människan har förmågan att lösa de problem vi står inför.« (party programme ↗)“The Moderate Party believes in progress and humanity's ability to solve the problems we face.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The party programme states that there are regulations in need of change that prevent new construction and make modern reactors impossible, and wants to invest more resources in new nuclear technology, including a Swedish research reactor. Investigating how regulations can be adapted to fusion power's prerequisites and drawing up a national fusion strategy is the same kind of commitment. The plan also wants to focus more on research and development to make fossil-free energy more profitable.

• adapted nuclear regulationsdecisive»Det finns idag regelverk i behov av förändring som förhindrar nybyggnation och omöjliggör moderna mindre reaktorer i Sverige.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“There are today regulations in need of change that prevent new construction and make modern smaller reactors impossible in Sweden.”
• investment in new nuclear technology»Mer resurser måste satsas på att utveckla lösningar för den fjärde generationens kärnkraft.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“More resources must be invested in developing solutions for fourth-generation nuclear power.”
• research reactor»Upprätta en svensk forskningsreaktor kring fjärde generationens kärnkraft« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Establish a Swedish research reactor for fourth-generation nuclear power”
• research in fossil-free energy»Fokusera mer på forskning och utveckling för att göra fossilfrienergi lönsammare« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Focus more on research and development to make fossil-free energy more profitable”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.