Ringhals — Sweden

Ringhals is a 3,932 MW nuclear power station in Halland, Sweden. It is operated by 70.4% Vattenfall; 29.6% Karnkraft Sverige. Based on reported annual generation of 27,494 GWh, it can supply roughly 7.9 million homes. It ranks #1 of 178 Sweden power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1975, it is around 51 years old — an older, legacy facility. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, nuclear supplies about 27.6% of Sweden's electricity; the national grid averages 35 gCO₂/kWh (98.8% low-carbon) (2025).

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1002097.

Capacity provenance

The public capacity above is the current source-record value. A 2026 tracker candidate lists 2,288 MW for Ringhals nuclear power plant, but it is not used as the public primary value until scope is verified (unit vs operating vs installed/project total).

Data provenance

Capacity and fuel are the upstream open-dataset record, not yet matched to a 2026 registry or GEM entry.

capacity: WRI GPPD; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

Technically it is described as pressurized water reactor. Nuclear plants split uranium to raise steam with no direct CO₂; they run as steady baseload with very high capacity factors and the longest operating lifetimes of any thermal plant.

Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.

Key facts

Load factor

80%, from 27,494 GWh of reported generation

Share of Sweden nuclear capacity

39.8% of 9,890 MW across 4 plants in this dataset

Age among peers

2 of 4 dated nuclear plants in Sweden are older

Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).

Reported generation trend

Annual generation (GWh), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

Owner

Operated by 70.4% Vattenfall; 29.6% Karnkraft Sverige.

Local climate & thermal context

This nuclear plant uses heat from nuclear fission to raise steam for a turbine-generator. It sits in a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 57.3°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

Monthly mean temperature

Heating degree-days here run 60% above the median power plant in this dataset — a proxy for how much extra energy heated equipment must replace through its surfaces in winter.

Climate heat-demand index: 83/100 — this site sits in the top third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.

Site climate & environmental severity

This site sits in a corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C4 — High), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.

How it compares & nearby plants

The #1 largest nuclear power plant of 4 in Sweden by capacity.

Sweden has 4 nuclear power plants in this dataset, together about 9,890 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• Lahall power station · Gas · 240 MW · Halland
• Froslida · Hydro · 2.4 MW · Halland
• Hylte · Hydro · 26 MW · Halland
• Rya · Gas · 250 MW · Vaestra Goetaland
• Göteborg power station · Gas · 36 MW · Västra Götaland
• Hogabjar-Karsas · Wind · 38 MW · Halland

Location

Coordinates 57.2574, 12.1087 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions