Norwegian government moves ahead with potential commercial nuclear project

The Norwegian government announced April 8 that it has instructed a group of agencies to develop a plan for an environmental impact assessment program for a proposed commercial nuclear power project.

The move marks a major policy change since Norwegian governments, regardless of political persuasion, have to date ruled out commercial reactors. Norway did have four research reactors, which are now permanently shut.

Following the 1979 Three Mile Island-2 accident in the US, the Norwegian parliament decided Norway should focus on hydropower. Norway currently generates almost all its electricity from hydro and wind power.

The government said in its April 8 statement that it has appointed the Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate and the Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection to develop the potential nuclear program. The government would like the plan to be ready before the summer but has set an absolute deadline of September.

Norsk Kjernekraft has said that it wants to build up to 1,500 MW of installed small modular reactor capacity on the border of the Aure and Heim municipalities, in the Taftoy industrial park in southwestern Norway. The company said the reactors could produce an annual 12.5 TWh of electricity, the equivalent of one large unit's production.

The Labor government's decision comes after the Labor Party's annual meeting on April 3-5, during which a new party program was agreed upon that calls for reviewing the possibilities for commercial nuclear power in Norway.

In a statement April 8, Norsk Kjernekraft CEO Johnny Hesthammer said: "We see this as a critical step towards enhancing Norway's energy security, maintaining industrial productivity, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This project will not only strengthen our energy supply but also create jobs and promote sustainable economic growth."