Vattenfall has the ambition to replace decommissioned reactors with new reactors

Interview of Mr. Waessman, Chief Nuclear Officer of Vattenfall, Sweden

Mr Waessman is 58 years old with a Master in Nuclear Engineering at Royal Technical University in Stockholm 1975. Mr Waessman has over 30 years of professional experience in reactor safety and technology issues, nuclear management, operation and maintenance. He joined Vattenfall early 2008 with a position as Chief Nuclear Officer. He reports directly to Vattenfall’s president and CEO Lars Josefsson and he is the group’s controller in nuclear safety issues and the executive group manage-ment’s nuclear expert.

During the past five years, Mr Waessman has been director of Boiling Water Reactor Engineering at Westinghouse (a Toshiba company) and before that Director for Reactor Services located in the US.

What are Vattenfall’s intentions regarding its nuclear operation?

Per–Olof Waessman – Nuclear stands for low carbon dioxide emissions and is an important player, together with wind power and carbon dioxide free coal power, in Vattenfall’s strategic direction of « Making electricity clean » to fight the climate change.

Vattenfall has the ambition to build new nuclear power where it is political acceptable and the cost is right, but it will take major advance planning, political consensus and public trust for the industry. This will be made through a safe and stabile operation together with great openness and trustworthy dialogue.

Vattenfall has taken great measures to reach world class regarding safety culture. One measure is the introduction of a new nuclear safety council and the function of Chief Nuclear Officer, which Per-Olof Waessman occupies. We also plan for extended experience exchange with other NPP’s and operators in the industry. We focus on education, retraining and especially to improve the dialogue between colleagues, to increase the interplay between humans and units. When all employees feel completely safe in their roles, meaning what to do and what’s expected from them, we will reach world class re-garding operation safety.

Does Vattenfall intend to build new nuclear power plants within the next few years?

POW – We are preparing for nuclear new build in the UK, Poland and Sweden.

Since 1980 Sweden has got a law against building new reactors and a decision through a referendum to phase out our nuclear power. In February this year, the government presented a proposition to make it possible to build new nuclear power in Sweden instead of a phase out. The amount of reactors in operation is though limited to be ten in total (which is the same amount that Sweden has today). The change of the law has to pass the parliament which will probably happen before next election fall 2010.

The oldest rectors in Sweden will reach 50y in the early 2022 and the oldest Vattenfall rector in 2025. If replacement with new nuclear build is authorized, the oldest rectors will probably be start decommis-sioning in the middle of 2025. Vattenfall has the ambition to replace decommissioned reactors with new reactors. It isn’t decided however what kind of rector technology Vattenfall will promote.