Research and innovation on nuclear power

The party programme explicitly rejects plans to expand nuclear power as a way out of fossil fuel dependence and instead wants to take Sweden out of both fossil fuel dependence and nuclear power dependence through renewable electricity. The replacement of the special nuclear power investment with support for regulated green base power as energy storage and demand flexibility is therefore exactly the plan's line. The election manifesto demands public investment in renewable energy and a transition that happens immediately.

• rejects 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 electricity and low emissions»strategi som bygger på förnybar el och låga klimatutsläpp« (party programme ↗)“strategy based on renewable electricity and low greenhouse gas emissions”
• public investment in renewable energy»Produktionen av både el och exempelvis vätgas behöver öka kraftigt när vi ställer om från användning av fossila bränslen, därför behöver staten gå in med satsningar på förnybar energi.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Production of both electricity and, for example, hydrogen needs to increase significantly as we transition away from fossil fuels, so the state needs to invest in renewable energy.”
• transition must happen immediately»Omställningen behöver ske omgående och alla politiska beslut behöver ta hänsyn till den akuta kris som vi befinner oss i.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The transition needs to happen immediately and all political decisions need to take account of the acute crisis we are in.”

The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.

The election manifesto states that nuclear power is an important part of Swedish electricity production for a long time to come and that the party sees positively on initiatives to investigate the potential in all energy sources. The counter-proposal wants to replace the specific nuclear power commitment with support for controllable green baseload power, thus redirect research away from nuclear power, which goes against that commitment. The party programme's older line that renewable energy should replace nuclear power gives way to the election manifesto's more recent message.

• nuclear power is importantdecisive»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 continue to be for a long time to come.”
• investigate all energy sources»Vi ser positivt på de initiativ som nu tas för att undersöka potentialen framåt i samtliga energislag.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We see positively on the initiatives now being taken to investigate the potential ahead in all energy sources.”
• expansion of all energy types»Bygg ut elproduktionen av alla slag.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Expand electricity production of all kinds.”
• renewable replaces nuclear power»Miljövänlig och förnybar energi måste ersätta såväl de« (party programme ↗)“Environmentally friendly and renewable energy must replace both”

The plan opposes new reactors and power increases and wants to begin phasing out nuclear power immediately, because nuclear power does not belong in a sustainable society. To redirect a special nuclear power initiative toward support for energy storage, controllable renewable sources and demand flexibility is therefore the plan's own priority. The plan also emphasizes that nuclear power is expensive and slow compared to solar and wind, which is precisely the counter-proposal's displacement argument.

• no new nuclear powerdecisive»Vi motsätter oss byggandet av nya reaktorer i Sverige, eller effekthöjning i befintliga, och vill i stället påbörja avvecklingen av kärnkraften omedelbart.« (party programme ↗)“We oppose the construction of new reactors in Sweden, or power increases in existing ones, and instead want to begin phasing out nuclear power immediately.”
• nuclear power expensive and slow»Kärnkraften tar minst 15 år att bygga, kräver hundratals miljarder av staten i investeringar och har enorma säkerhetsrisker.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Nuclear power takes at least 15 years to build, requires hundreds of billions of state investment and has enormous security risks.”
• energy storage and flexibility»bygga ut elnäten, investera i energilager och satsa på ett smart energisystem« (2022 manifesto ↗)“expand power networks, invest in energy storage and focus on a smart energy system”
• nuclear power incompatible with sustainability»Kärnkraften hör därför inte hemma i ett hållbart samhälle.« (party programme ↗)“Nuclear power therefore does not belong in a sustainable society.”

The party programme establishes that Sweden within less than one generation shall have one hundred percent renewable energy and that the party's vision is a society without nuclear power, and that research funds shall go to future renewable technology. Replacing the special nuclear power investment with support for controllable green base power and storage follows from that. The election manifesto furthermore prioritizes effective measures over symbolic politics.

• vision without nuclear powerdecisive»Sverige har både möjlighet och skyldighet att inom mindre än en generation bli ett samhälle med hundra procent förnybar energi, helt fritt från fossil energi, där Centerpartiets vision är ett samhälle utan kärnkraft.« (party programme ↗)“Sweden has both the opportunity and the responsibility to become within less than one generation a society with one hundred percent renewable energy, completely free from fossil energy, where the Center Party's vision is a society without nuclear power.”
• research on renewable technology»För att nå dit krävs tydliga ekonomiska styrmedel och långsiktiga satsningar på forskning och innovation för« (party programme ↗)“To achieve this requires clear economic instruments and long-term investments in research and innovation for”
• doubled emission-free electricity»Vi vill fördubbla produktionen av utsläppsfri el, och rusta och bygga ut elnätet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to double the production of emission-free electricity, and upgrade and expand the electricity grid.”
• effective measures over symbolic politics»Ett ledarskap som prioriterar effektiva åtgärder framför symbolpolitik eller passivitet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“A leadership that prioritizes effective measures over symbolic politics or passivity.”

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's line is to develop, not phase out, nuclear power: more new reactors shall be enabled, state loan guarantees shall cover nuclear power and a nuclear power strategy with investments in demonstration plants and waste management shall be put in place, and continued research is needed for operation and waste. Replacing the special investment in nuclear power research with support for other controllable power and directing basic research toward fusion goes straight against this commitment.

• expanded nuclear powerdecisive»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 want to enable more new reactors in more places, enable restart of Ringhals 1 and 2, ensure that state loan guarantees cover nuclear power, modernize regulations and compensate nuclear power for always being available.”
• continued nuclear power research»Fortsatt forskning och utveckling behövs för att minimera riskerna vid drift samt hantering av bränsle och avfall.« (party programme ↗)“Continued research and development is needed to minimize the risks in operation and the handling of fuel and waste.”
• state nuclear power strategy»Staten bör underlätta en utbyggnad genom en kärnkraftsstrategi som inkluderar investeringar i demonstrationsanläggningar, avfallshantering och insatser för att marknaden ska kunna investera i svensk kärnkraft på liknande villkor som för övriga fossilfria energislag.« (party programme ↗)“The state should facilitate expansion through a nuclear power strategy that includes investments in demonstration plants, waste management and efforts for the market to be able to invest in Swedish nuclear power on similar terms as for other fossil-free energy sources.”
• develop nuclear power»Utveckla – inte avveckla – kärnkraften.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Develop – not phase out – nuclear power.”

The election manifesto, which weighs heaviest, commits to investing in nuclear power with long-term conditions to develop, extending existing reactors' operation and expanding with new reactors, while wind power can only be a complement. The counter-proposal's demand to replace special nuclear research funding with support for controllable green baseload power directly conflicts with this. That the older party programme speaks of phase-out does not change matters, since the election manifesto is the more recent expression.

• 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 to develop. Extend existing reactors' operation and build out with new reactors.”
• wind power only complement»Bygg ut vindkraften men med respekt för den lokala demokratin och anpassa storleken efter lokala villkor. Vindkraft kan dock bara vara ett komplement.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Build out wind power but with respect for local democracy and adapt the size to local conditions. Wind power can, however, only be a complement.”
• nuclear power important electricity»driftsäker kärnkraft kommer dock under överskådlig tid« (party programme ↗)“reliable nuclear power will however in the foreseeable future”
• older phase-out line»Den svenska kärnkraften ska fasas ut ur energisystemet« (party programme ↗)“Swedish nuclear power shall be phased out of the energy system”

The plan states that new nuclear power is the solution to repair Sweden's energy system and that expansion of nuclear power is absolutely central, and it allocates resources to a regulatory framework for new nuclear power. Replacing a specific investment in nuclear research with support for storage and flexibility, and directing nuclear technology towards fusion, goes directly against this. The plan moreover explicitly wants plannable production independent of weather and wind. The demand is rejected.

• new nuclear power is the solutiondecisive»Ny kärnkraft är lösningen för att reparera Sveriges energisystem på lång sikt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“New nuclear power is the solution to repair Sweden's energy system in the long term.”
• nuclear power expansion is central»I det läge Sverige har hamnat i på grund av dåliga politiska beslut kommer en utbyggnad av kärnkraften att vara helt central.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“In the situation Sweden has ended up in due to poor political decisions, expansion of nuclear power will be absolutely central.”
• resources for new nuclear power»Ge resurser till Strålsäkerhetsmyndigheten för att ta fram ett regelverk för ny kärnkraft« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Provide resources to the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority to develop a regulatory framework for new nuclear power”
• plannable power prioritised(2022 manifesto)

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The election manifesto establishes that more resources must be invested in fourth-generation nuclear power and that a Swedish research reactor should be established. The counter-proposal wants instead to replace the special nuclear power investment with support for controllable green base power and redirect nuclear research towards fusion. This goes directly against the plan's commitment to new nuclear power and plannable fossil-free electricity production.

• investment in nuclear researchdecisive»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.”
• Swedish research reactor»Upprätta en svensk forskningsreaktor kring fjärde generationens kärnkraft« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Establish a Swedish research reactor for fourth-generation nuclear power”
• new nuclear power»Skapa förutsättningar för ny kärnkraft i Sverige och en färdplan för byggandet av SMR-reaktorer« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Create conditions for new nuclear power in Sweden and a roadmap for building SMR reactors”
• plannable electricity production»Sverige behöver satsa på planerbar och fossilfri elproduktion.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden needs to invest in plannable and fossil-free electricity production.”