The Swedish Parliament (Riksdag) has lifted a ban on uranium mining, with the decision taking effect on Jan. 1, 2026. The move comes as countries are looking to improve their energy mix, move away from fossil fuels, eliminate any dependence on Russian oil and gas, and adopt cleaner energy alternatives.
Sweden’s ban on uranium mining and exploration had been in effect since 2018, writes Do Rzeczy. Now, mining operations will restart to take advantage of the rich deposits of uranium, used in nuclear energy, in the central and northern parts of the country.
The new regulations mean that uranium will be incorporated into the Swedish Minerals Act, making it possible to apply for a permit to explore and mine domestic uranium deposits.
Supporters of the bill believe that if Sweden wants to develop nuclear energy, it should be open to uranium mining. Opponents, on the other hand, point to a number of environmental and health risks that resuming mining would pose.
They warn of negative impacts on agricultural landscapes and livestock farming, as well as a possible contamination of water supplies.
Under the new regulations, municipalities with large uranium deposits, such as Falköping, Östersund and Vilhelmina, are to have limited opportunities to object when issuing environmental permits for the opening of mines.
In the future, however, the government wants to go even further and completely limit the possibility of local authorities refusing to mine uranium.
Sweden currently has six nuclear power plants, which constitute about 30 percent of the national energy mix.
Back in 2023, the Swedish government announced plans to construct two large-scale reactors by 2035 and the equivalent of 10 new reactors, including small modular reactors, by 2045. The country’s energy minister, Ebba Busch, said at a press conference at that time that this was “a historic restructuring of Sweden’s energy policy” from 100 percent renewable to 100 percent fossil-free electricity generation.
