The licence application by Sweden's radioactive waste management company for an integrated system for the final disposal of used nuclear fuel and radioactive waste has been endorsed by the country's Radiation Safety Authority. A final decision to licence the facilities will be made next year.

Swedish utility Vattenfall has decided to invest in safety upgrades to enable the three reactors at the Forsmark plant to continue operating beyond 2020. The decision follows the government's announcement last week that it will abolish a tax on nuclear power.

The Swedish parliament has today agreed to abolish a tax on nuclear power as it recognizes nuclear's role in helping it to eventually achieve a goal of 100% renewable generation.

Sweden has made "significant improvements in its regulatory framework for nuclear and radiation safety", an International Atomic Energy Agency peer review mission has concluded. However, it warned of potential new challenges ahead.

Westinghouse Electric Company has announced the expansion of its nuclear fuel factory in Västerås, Sweden. The US-based firm, which is majority-owned by Japan's Toshiba, said the expansion is a response to growing demand for nuclear fuel supply diversification for VVER-1000 reactors in Europe.

Sweden's Studsvik and Kobe Steel of Japan have agreed to extend their existing cooperation by forming a joint venture to provide radioactive waste management solutions to the Japanese nuclear industry.

Sweden's Studsvik has agreed to sell its low-level radioactive waste operations in Sweden and the UK to EDF of France. At the same time, the two companies have agreed to collaborate in decommissioning and waste management.

The Swedish nuclear regulator has said it believes the country's radioactive waste management company can meet all the safety and radiation protection requirements for its planned used nuclear fuel encapsulation plant next to the Clab interim storage facility in Oskarshamn.

OKG AB has confirmed that unit 1 of the Oskarshamn nuclear power plant in Sweden will close in 2017. Last year it announced the reactor would be shut down between 2017 and 2019.

Swedish utility Vattenfall has announced a loss of SEK19.8 billion ($2.4 billion) in 2015, its third consecutive annual loss. It attributed this partly to continued low electricity prices and unprofitable Swedish nuclear power reactors.

Swedish utility Vattenfall has said that low electricity prices combined with the country's nuclear output tax mean that its power reactors are operating at a loss. It warns of serious consequences to Sweden's electricity supply should it be forced to shut down its remaining reactors early.

The application for construction of a used nuclear fuel encapsulation plant and repository in Sweden is now complete, the Land and Environment Court in Stockholm has decided. It will now publish the application and proceed with the review process.