Ringhals Nuclear Power Plant 4.12

Ringhals is a Swedish nuclear power plant with 4 reactors, one boiling water reactor (R1) and three pressurized water reactors (R2, R3 and R4). It is situated on the Värö Peninsula (Swedish: Väröhalvön) in Varberg Municipality approximately 65 km south of Gothenburg. With a total power rating of 3955 MWe it is the largest power plant in Sweden and generates 23 TWh of electricity a year, the equivalent of 15% of the electrical power usage of Sweden. It is owned 70% by Vattenfall and 30% by Uniper SE.HistoryPlanning and construction, 1965-1983Planning and land procurement of the site started 1965. 2 reactors were ordered 1968, one boiling water reactor from ABB-ATOM (R1) and one pressurized water reactor from Westinghouse (R2). Construction work started 1969, and commercial operation started for R2 1975, and for R1 1976.2 more pressurized water reactors, R3 and R4, were ordered from Westinghouse 1971 and construction work started 1972.So far the public and political opinion in Sweden was fairly positive to nuclear power. One reason was that until 1970 nearly all electricity came from a continuously increasing exploitation of the large and wild rivers in the north of Sweden, and the diminishing number of remaining, unexploited rivers created fierce opposition against further hydro power development.