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OSLO - Power consumption in Sweden may double by 2035 from massive plans to electrify industry and society at large, requiring a "historically rapid" expansion of generation and grid capacity, the Swedish Energy Agency said on Thursday.
Electricity demand could soar to as much as 280 terawatt hours (TWh) by 2035 from 140 TWh at present the agency said when presenting a report on electrification requested by the government.
For 2045, the report said it expected electricity demand in a range of 210-370 TWh, based on varying scenarios of industrial development.
Swedish industry is undergoing a massive push to decarbonise sectors such as steel-making and building large-scale battery factories, which are heavy power consumers.
Meeting this new demand will require "a historically rapid expansion rate of electricity production and electricity grids", the Swedish Energy Agency said.
Up to 2035, onshore wind will supply the bulk of new production capacity, while offshore wind as well as new nuclear power plants had high potential to contribute new capacity by 2045, it added.
To meet this challenge, lead times need to come down for all processes such as approving new production, grid lines and planning for the expansion of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, the agency said.
Sweden is not the only Nordic country to forecast a massive rise in power demand, with Norwegian transmission grid operator Statnett warning in November the country could face a supply deficit in 2027.
(Reporting by Nora Buli in Oslo; editing by Jason Neely)