Electricity Sector In Sweden
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Majority of electricity production in
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
relies on hydro power and
nuclear power Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions to produce electricity. Nuclear power can be obtained from nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion reactions. Presently, the vast majority of electricity from nuclear power is produced by ...
. In 2008 the consumption of electricity in Sweden was per capita, compared to EU average per capita.i siffror 2009
Energimyndigheten Sweden, Table 25: Specific electricity production per inhabitant with breakdown by power source, 2008, kWh/person.
Sweden has a national grid, which is part of the Synchronous grid of Northern Europe. A specialty of the
Nordic energy market The Nordic electricity market is a common market for electricity in the Nordic countries. It is one of the first free electric-energy markets in Europe and is traded in NASDAQ OMX Commodities Europe and Nord Pool Spot. In 2003, the largest marke ...
is the existence of so-called electricity price areas, which complicate the
wholesale Wholesaling or distributing is the sale of goods or merchandise to retailers; to industrial, commercial, institutional or other professional business users; or to other wholesalers (wholesale businesses) and related subordinated services. In ...
Nordic
energy market An energy market is a type of commodity market on which electricity, heat, and fuel products are traded. Natural gas and electricity are examples of products traded on an energy market. Other energy commodities include: oil, coal, carbon emission ...
. The electricity supply and consumption were about equal in 2006–2009: 124–146 TWh/year (14–17 GW). In 2009 the electricity supply included hydro power 65 TWh (53%),
nuclear power Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions to produce electricity. Nuclear power can be obtained from nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion reactions. Presently, the vast majority of electricity from nuclear power is produced by ...
50 TWh (40%) and net import 5 TWh (3%). The Swedish use of electricity declined by 14% in 2009. Potential factors may include recession and the forest- and automobile-industry changes. The industrial structural changes may have long-term influence in the electricity sector in Sweden. For example, Stora Enso has moved some pulp and paper production from Scandinavia to Brazil and China. The net energy change of investments depends on energy choices in Brazil and China.


Electricity per person and by power source

As of November 2021, Swedish authorities have not published "Electricity production by power source in different countries" after the year 2019.


By power source


Nuclear power

Nuclear power Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions to produce electricity. Nuclear power can be obtained from nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion reactions. Presently, the vast majority of electricity from nuclear power is produced by ...
in Sweden includes
Forsmark Nuclear Power Plant Forsmark Nuclear Power Plant is a nuclear power plant in Forsmark, Sweden that provides 14% of Sweden's total electricity output, and also the site of the Swedish Final repository for radioactive operational waste. It is operated by a company m ...
and Ringhals Nuclear Power Plant and Oskarshamn Nuclear Power Plant, with a total of ten reactors. Swedish nuclear power is owned by the state company
Vattenfall Vattenfall is a Swedish multinational corporation, multinational electrical power industry, power company owned by the List of government enterprises of Sweden, Swedish state. Beyond Sweden, the company generates power in Denmark, Finland, Germa ...
, Finnish
Fortum Fortum Oyj is a Finland, Finnish Government of Finland, state-owned energy company located in Espoo, Finland. It mainly focuses on the Nordic countries, Nordic region. Fortum operates power plants, including co-generation plants, and generate ...
and German E.ON. The competition authorities and OECD have criticized the joint ownership.Vattenfall brister i kontroll i Namibia Namibias uran bakom Svensk kärnkraft 13 September 2010
Swedwatch report 36 an
English summary
/ref> Swedish people voted for phase-out of nuclear power plants on 23 March 1980. The outcome of the vote was that the nuclear reactors will be phased out at a feasible rate. In 1980 the Riksdag decided that nuclear energy would be phased out by 2010. Barsebäck 1 nuclear reactor was shut in 1999 and Barsebäck 2 in 2005. Ringhals Nuclear Power Plant reactors 3 and 4 are expected to remain in service until the 2040s. Sweden imports uranium from Australia, Canada, Russia and Namibia.
Vattenfall Vattenfall is a Swedish multinational corporation, multinational electrical power industry, power company owned by the List of government enterprises of Sweden, Swedish state. Beyond Sweden, the company generates power in Denmark, Finland, Germa ...
imports from Namibia and E.ON from Canada and Russia. The import of uranium by
Vattenfall Vattenfall is a Swedish multinational corporation, multinational electrical power industry, power company owned by the List of government enterprises of Sweden, Swedish state. Beyond Sweden, the company generates power in Denmark, Finland, Germa ...
has been criticized in the Swedish media and the Parliament e.g. on 23 March 2010.
Vattenfall Vattenfall is a Swedish multinational corporation, multinational electrical power industry, power company owned by the List of government enterprises of Sweden, Swedish state. Beyond Sweden, the company generates power in Denmark, Finland, Germa ...
imports uranium from Namibia, Rössing Uranium Mine owned by Rio Tinto. Rössing Mine do not allow any visitors in the mine area and do not answer any questions concerning the employee health and safety and environmental protection. In 2008
SOMO Joseph Anthony Somers-Morales (born September 11, 1987), known professionally as SoMo, is an American singer and songwriter. Career In 2009, SoMo started recording covers in Denton, Texas. A successful 2011 mash-up of Drake's ''Take Care'' le ...
, the Netherlands, made a health study of the mine workers in Namibia. Vattenfall had not made any official controls for six years in 2010.


Wind power

In 2008 Wind power was produced 2 TWh. As of 2008,
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
produced 1.6% of electricity with
wind power Wind power is the use of wind energy to generate useful work. Historically, wind power was used by sails, windmills and windpumps, but today it is mostly used to generate electricity. This article deals only with wind power for electricity ge ...
. The European average was 4.1%.Pure Power
December 2009 pp. 26–27
At the end of 2010 installed wind capacity met 3.2% of Swedish and 5.3% of the EU’s electricity needs. According to the Swedish National Action Plan (2010) for the European Union ''2009 Renewable Energy Directive'' the Swedish government plan is 8% wind power of electricity (12.5 TWh) in 2020.Wind in power 2010 European statistics
EWEA February 2011 page 11
The Swedish Energy Agency recommended in 2007 a target of 30 TWh of wind power in 2020. The annual electricity use was in average 146 TWh in 2000–2009. According to the Swedish National Action Plan (2010) the electricity use will be 156 TWh in 2020 giving 7% rise from the period 2000–2009 average (12.5TWh wind power is 8% of total = 12.5/0.08=156TWh)


Hydropower

A very large amount of the electricity is produced by Hydroelectric power plants. The largest ones are predominantly located on the Lule River in the northern part of the country, but a few large and a lot of medium plants are located in the middle part of the country. Throughout the whole country are also more than 1100 smaller plants. Today there's about 46 plants with a capacity of 100 MW and over, 18 with 200 MW and over, and 6 with 400 MW and over. The largest one is very close to 1000 MW. No new plants other than ones owned by private people are planned, mainly because the unharnessed rivers are protected by law and the regulated ones do not have more rapids to regulate. Most plants were built between 1940–1980.


Biofuels

In 2008 the supply of biofuel in electricity production was 12.3 TWh in 2008 and 13.3 TWh in 2009. The volume of biofuels has increased since 1998 (4 TWh in 1998).


Fossil fuels

In 2008 the fossil fuel supplies for electricity production were: oil 1 TWh, natural gas 1 TWh and coal 3 TWh.


Peat

The IEA and EU classify
peat Peat is an accumulation of partially Decomposition, decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, Moorland, moors, or muskegs. ''Sphagnum'' moss, also called peat moss, is one of the most ...
as
fossil fuel A fossil fuel is a flammable carbon compound- or hydrocarbon-containing material formed naturally in the Earth's crust from the buried remains of prehistoric organisms (animals, plants or microplanktons), a process that occurs within geolog ...
. The IEA tables combine peat energy and coal energy.Key world energy statistics 2010
IEA page 6
Peat is not classified as a renewable fuel in Directive 2001/77/EC on the Promotion of Electricity Produced from Renewable Energy Sources in the Internal Electricity Market. The Swedish energy data reported e.g. in 2008 often combine peat with biofuels instead of hard coal. This is in contradiction with the international statistical standards. Electricity production from peat in 2007 amounted to about 0.7 TWh. Peat imports amounted to 379 000 tonnes in 2007 equivalent to 0.9–1.1 TWh.Energy in Sweden 2008, Swedish Energy Agency 2008: pages 111–113. Page 153: 1 tonne peat is equivalent to 2.5–3 MWh but was used also in the district heating plants 2.8 TWh annually in 2007–2009. From 1 January 2008 (valid in the year 2009) the tax of peat was 1.8 öre/kWh compared to the tax of hard coal 39.5 öre/kWh. Standard emissions are (g CO 2 / kWh): hard coal 341 and peat 381. According to the Swedish statistics review the peat harvesting destructs the vegetation including all original plants and animal life. The peat ditching increases the suspended materials in the drainage water. In the peat combustion there is a risk of sulphur and nitrogen oxide emissions. Radioactive substances exist naturally in the peat and are released during combustion and are found in the heavy metals in the ashes.U.S. Geological Survey Peat 2005 (Minerals yearbook), table 9 Peat: World production by country, page 29: International production (no production in Asia?) page 34 Summary (Swedish)


By sector

In 2009 electricity use was by sector:Energy in Sweden, Facts and figures 2010, The Swedish Energy Agency, Table 21: Use of electricity in Sweden 1970–2009 (TWh) * residential, services etc. 72.9 TWh * industry 48.8 TWh * district heating, refineries 3.6 TWh. * transport 2.9 TWh.


Transport sector

The transport sector used in 2009 petrol 41.7 TWh, diesel 40.6 TWh, renewable fuels 4.6 TWh and electricity 2.9 TWh. The use of electricity in the Swedish transport sector is practically unchanged since 1980 (2.3 TWh). The total final energy use in the transport sector including
aviation Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' include fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air aircraft such as h ...
, international transports and
renewable fuel Renewable fuels are fuels produced from renewable resources. Examples include: biofuels (e.g. Vegetable oil used as fuel, ethanol, methanol from clean energy and carbon dioxide or biomass, and biodiesel), Hydrogen fuel (when produced with rene ...
s has increased from 1990 to 2009 39% (91.4 TWh / 126.8 TWh) and from 2000 to 2009 21% (104.4 TWh / 126.8 TWh).Energy in Sweden, Facts and figures 2010, The Swedish Energy Agency Table 19: Final energy use in the transport sector 1970–2009, including international transports (TWh)


Companies

Nord Pool Spot Nord Pool AS is a pan-European power exchange. Nord Pool has its main office in Oslo and further offices in Stockholm, Helsinki, Tallinn and London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, lar ...
is the power market for Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The electric producers in Sweden include:
Vattenfall Vattenfall is a Swedish multinational corporation, multinational electrical power industry, power company owned by the List of government enterprises of Sweden, Swedish state. Beyond Sweden, the company generates power in Denmark, Finland, Germa ...
,
Fortum Fortum Oyj is a Finland, Finnish Government of Finland, state-owned energy company located in Espoo, Finland. It mainly focuses on the Nordic countries, Nordic region. Fortum operates power plants, including co-generation plants, and generate ...
, E.On and Sydkraft.
Vattenfall Vattenfall is a Swedish multinational corporation, multinational electrical power industry, power company owned by the List of government enterprises of Sweden, Swedish state. Beyond Sweden, the company generates power in Denmark, Finland, Germa ...
is a 100% state owned company. It produces electricity in several European countries. Vattenfall is 5th top electricity producer in Europe. In Central Sweden, there is also a single-phase AC power grid operated with 16.7 Hz frequency for power supply of electric railways, see Electric power supply system of railways in Sweden.


Transmission, import and export

Svenska kraftnät is the national electricity transmission grid operator. Sweden installed the first 400 kV line in the world in 1952, between Storfinnforsen and Midskog. Sweden was one big grid price area until November 2011, when it was divided into four different bidding areas. Most of the consumption is in the South (SE3 & SE4) while the production takes place in the North (SE1 & SE2), mainly generated by hydro plants.Four bidding areas Sweden
''
Nord Pool Spot Nord Pool AS is a pan-European power exchange. Nord Pool has its main office in Oslo and further offices in Stockholm, Helsinki, Tallinn and London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, lar ...
''. Accessed: 30 December 2011.
There is power transmission through HVDC to
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
via the SwePol-link, to
Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...
using the NordBalt-link, to
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
via the Baltic Cable, the Fenno–Skan to
Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...
and a connection to
Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
by the Konti-Skan-line. There are also conventional AC connections to Denmark, Norway and Finland. The annual electricity import and export was 10–20 TWh in 2006–2009. Sweden imported 8–10 TWh hydro power from Norway in 2006–2009 and exported some electricity back. Electricity export and import was (TWh) – in 2009 import: Norway 8, Denmark 3, Finland 3 – in 2009 export: Norway 3, Denmark 4, Finland 2, Germany 1, Poland 1 – in 2008 import: Norway 9, Denmark 2, Finland 4 – in 2008 export: Norway 2, Denmark 7, Finland 4, Germany 3, Poland 2


See also

* Ministry of Enterprise, Energy and Communications (Sweden) *
Energy in Sweden Energy in Sweden is characterized by relatively high per capita production and consumption, and a reliance on imports for fossil fuel supplies. With 98% of electricity generation coming from renewables and nuclear in 2023, Electricity secto ...
Regional: *
Nordic energy market The Nordic electricity market is a common market for electricity in the Nordic countries. It is one of the first free electric-energy markets in Europe and is traded in NASDAQ OMX Commodities Europe and Nord Pool Spot. In 2003, the largest marke ...


References

{{Europe topic, Electricity sector in