The board of directors at Sweden's OKG said this week that Unit 1 at Oskarshamn Nuclear Power Plant in Oskarshamn will begin the decommissioning process in June 2017.
The company said a combination of low electricity prices and planned increases in output taxes prompted the move. This follows the company's decision in October not to restart Unit 2.
The company also said safety concerns were not a factor in deciding to cease operations at both reactors
The company said Unit 3 will remain in operation and is expected to be financially viable through its intended life cycle.
The decommissioning process for Unit 1 will begin during a planned outage on the reactor, and OKG said the June 2017 date was selected due to permit requirements that need to be met.
“We will, as always, ensure a reliable and safe operation until the closing date," OKG CEO Johan Dasht said. “An orderly and planned closure of O1 is conditional upon having motivated employees that are fully focused on production up to the date of closure, but who must also be focused on new assignments in other modes of operation. Despite changes to the content of the operation, we must always put safety first and manage the consequences in the best possible manner.”
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