A groundbreaking marked the beginning of advanced SMRs in Sweden. From left, Jenny Wirandi, head of engineering at OKG; Johan Svenningsson, chief executive of Uniper Sweden; Jacob Stedman, chief executive of Blykalla; Ebba Busch, Sweden’s minister for energy and business and deputy prime minister; and Per Erik Holsten, president of energy industries at ABB. (Photo: Marcus Beckford/Blykalla)
An official groundbreaking on Monday for Swedish nuclear company Blykalla’s advanced reactor testing site marked a pivotal step in putting decades of research into action.
Blykalla is introducing its lead-cooled reactor technology and also bringing the first new nuclear facility in more than 40 years to life in Sweden, according to the company’s news release. The testing facility is being built at the Oskarshamn nuclear power plant, where two of the three units are currently being decommissioned.
The company expects to finish the first phase of construction by June, with tests starting in the third quarter of 2025. Blykalla hopes to have its commercial reactor ready for operation in the early 2030s.
“This test facility is a significant step forward for Swedish nuclear innovation and a testament to the power of collaboration,” said Jacob Stedman, chief executive of Blykalla. “By uniting public and private partners, we are creating a foundation for the energy solutions the world urgently needs.”
A closer look: Blykalla (formerly known as LeadCold) is developing and building small modular reactors using its innovative SEALER (Swedish advanced lead-cooled reactor) technology, which uses liquid lead cooling and features passive safety, according to the company’s website. Each reactor will have a 55-MWe capacity, and multiple units can be installed to meet a site’s higher energy demands.
Founded in 2013, Blykalla is a spin-off from the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. The technology aims to support Sweden’s transition to zero-carbon electricity.
Big picture: “This is an exciting project where we can contribute our expertise in industrial construction, new technologies, and related areas such as power distribution, electricity generation, and transmission,” said Helena Hed, head of the Green Industry Transformation business area within the Nordic Construction Company (NCC), which was chosen as a construction partner by Blykalla.
