The red brick building with its gray cooling towers in Malmö’s northern harbor symbolizes Sweden’s preparation for an uncertain future. The decommissioned power plant located near the Juutinrauma beach was supposed to be dismantled and transferred abroad to new ownership. Then the war in Ukraine changed Sweden’s defense policy and forced the country to reassess the security of its energy production.
Sweden’s capital, Stockholm, is closer to St. Petersburg than Berlin, and Sweden, with a population of 10 million, has been on alert since Russia annexed Crimea ten years ago. Now Sweden has a Russian president who has become more and more daring as a neighbor Vladimir Putin, but the newest member of the defense alliance NATO says it must be prepared if some kind of conflict spreads through the Baltics.
The Swedish grid operator wants to return the power plant known as the Juutinrauma power plant located in Malmö to operational readiness, so that the lights will stay on in Malmö, Sweden’s third largest city, if there is a shock to Sweden’s electricity production that causes widespread power outages. “I hope we don’t end up in a situation where we have to start the power plant,” says the power plant manager Mikael Nilsson.
When the Cold War ended, Sweden believed in the permanence of peace and reduced its armed forces. Now, in addition to its armed forces, it must strengthen the civilian infrastructure, i.e. ports, roads, railways, hospitals and shelters. Sweden’s geographical location makes the country’s energy supply, which is based on nuclear, hydro and wind power, particularly vulnerable.
Compared to many other European countries, Sweden’s electricity grid is more susceptible to sabotage, which is why Sweden needs to be prepared for malfunctions, says Vera van Zoestwho is an assistant professor at the Swedish National Defense University. Van Zoest mentions Ukraine. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, more than half of all power plants in Ukraine have been damaged by Russian strikes, according to the World Bank. Cities in Ukraine have gone dark and people have been left without water and heat during harsh winters.
The challenges are not unique to Sweden. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen says that other countries should follow the example of Finland, which shares a border with Russia and has for decades built and maintained a strong civil defense and taught citizens to act during a national emergency. Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson has already noted it, saying, “We have learned a lot from the events in Ukraine for very sad reasons.”