Sweden's Forsmark 2 has been approved for routine operation at an uprated power level, the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (SSM) has announced.

The boiling water reactor (BWR) was uprated from 900MWe to 1120MWe.

In 2005, Forsmarks Kraftgrupp AB (FKA) applied for permission to increase the thermal capacity of Forsmark 2 to 3253MWt. The government approved the increase in 2010.

In 2012, SSM approved test operation at the uprated power level. A series of inspections and system tests were carried out during the first two monts of trial operation, and the reactor reached its new power level of 1120MWe in late May 2013.

FKA applied for routine operation at the higher power level in 2015, but SSM requested a supplementary safety report and additional evidence in order to make its decision.

FKA submitted supplementary information in several batches from 2017 to 2019.

"In the light of all the reviews, in all stages of the examination, we believe that the supplementary safety report can now be approved and that Forsmark 2 can be taken into routine operation," said Michael Knochenhauer, department head of SSM.

Photo: Forsmark nuclear power plant (Credit: Vattenfall)