Sweden raps Vattenfall over recent scandals

Following a wave of scandals surrounding Vattenfall, the Swedish government has demanded concrete measures be taken by the board of the state-owned nuclear operator.

• Merkel attacks Vattenfall over reactor (20 Jul 09)
• More safety concerns for Vattenfall reactor in Germany (10 Jul 09)
• Sweden's biggest nuke plant under observation (8 Jul 09)

“Vattenfall has deficiencies in its processes and its follow-up. As a state owner and on behalf of the Swedish people, we are seriously concerned about the situation and that it is damaging the company,” Ola Alterå, state secretary at the Ministry of Enterprise, Energy and Communications (Näringsdepartementet), told the Dagens Nyheter newspaper.

Alterå said that although the Swedish government ultimately has confidence in Vattenfall, there remains a lot of work ahead for the board.

The required measures include restoring brand confidence, improving the security culture, create a focus on profitability as well as play a leading role in the changeover to renewable energy in order to help the European Union (EU) meet its climate goals by the year 2020.

Alterå added that these goals are closely interrelated.

On Sunday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel criticised Vattenfall over a series of problems at Krümmel, an ageing reactor near Hamburg that has become an issue in the German elections.

Earlier this month, nuclear officials ruled to place Vattenfall's Ringhals plant in southwestern Sweden under observation following several security-related incidents.