Sweden temporarily shuts down nuclear reactor due to fault

A reactor at the Forsmark nuclear plant, north of Stockholm, has been temporarily shut down due to a fault, Swedish media reported.

Local media cited operator Vattenfall as saying that work was under way early on Tuesday to rectify the fault at Forsmark 1. According to Vattenfall's website, maintenance work on the reactor was only completed last week.

Three nuclear power plants with a total of six reactors - three at Forsmark - are currently in operation in Sweden. Together, they account for around 30% of Sweden's electricity generation.

Forsmark 1, located around 130 kilometres north of Stockholm, was commissioned in 1980, according to Vattenfall's website.
Before taking office in autumn 2022, the conservative government and its right-wing populist support party, the Sweden Democrats, agreed to expand nuclear power.

The Swedish government considers nuclear energy a key component in the transition towards a more climate-friendly future.