The Swedish Parliament narrowly passed a landmark government proposal allowing the replacement of its nuclear reactors.

The centre-right coalition government’s proposal in February last year to reverse an earlier decision to phase out nuclear power was approved by parliament after an all-day debate, with 174 votes in favour and 172 against, reports AFP.

The country had voted in a 1980 non-binding referendum to phase out its 12 reactors by 2010, a target which was later abandoned by officials.

Since 1999, two of the reactors have been closed. The ten remaining reactors, located at three power stations, account for about half of Sweden’s electricity production.