Stockholm- Despite several recent critical reports highlighting concerns over a deterioration of security routines at some Swedish nuclear plants, public opinion has not swayed against nuclear energy, a survey said Thursday. A survey commissioned by Swedish Radio news suggested that 43 per cent favoured using the ten nuclear reactors until they are too expensive or unsafe, while 32 per cent even wanted to build new power reactors, according to the Synovate Temo poll.
Only 17 per cent of the 1,000 polled said they wanted to decommission nuclear reactors as soon as possible, while eight per cent were undecided.
The poll was conducted February 27 to March 5.
The results mirrored a similar survey conducted last August in the wake of the shutdown of four Swedish nuclear reactors pending a review of backup systems.
Political science professor Soren Holmberg who has gauged nuclear opinion since the 1970s was not surprised by the outcome.
"The Swedish people are among the most positive to nuclear power in the whole world," Holmberg told the radio.
At its height, Sweden had once had 12 nuclear reactors in operation. But two reactors the Barseback plant in southern Sweden have been decommissioned, most recently in May 2005.
A 1980 referendum decided Sweden would phase out nuclear power, which accounts for about half of the country's electricity.
