EIA programme proposed for Norwegian plant

Nuclear project developer Norsk Kjernekraft submitted a proposal to Norway's Ministry of Energy in November 2023 for an assessment of the construction of the small modular reactor (SMR) plant. According to the preliminary plan, the plant will be located in a common industrial area - the Taftøy industrial park - in the border area between Aure and Heim. The plant is planned to consist of several SMRs, which together will produce around 12.5 TWh of electricity annually, if the plant is realised in its entirety.

In April this year, the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Health and Care Services, the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, and the Ministry of Climate and Environment requested the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE), the Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (DSA), and the Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection (DSB) prepare an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) programme for the proposed plant.

"An assessment programme is a review of which topics a developer must investigate before applying for licences, permits and approvals in line with current regulations," DSA noted. "The goal is to ensure that environmental and social considerations are taken into account."

"The three directorates have submitted a proposal for which topics should be investigated in order to assess a nuclear power plant in Aure and Heim," Kjetil Lund, Director of Water Resources and Energy at NVE said. "Now it is up to the ministries to consider how the further work should be organised."

DSA Director Per Strand added: "Nuclear power plants must be operated safely, securely and responsibly to ensure that people and the environment are protected from the negative consequences of radiation, and it is important that the assessment programme is clear about the consequences a nuclear power plant will have on the environment and society. The regulations impose strict requirements on nuclear power plants."

DSA noted that although the assessment programme is designed specifically for a nuclear power plant at Taftøy industrial park, "most of the proposed assessment topics and requirements will still be relevant for any other nuclear power plants".

"The directorates believe that the development of nuclear power production in Norway should start with an overall, state-wide approach, rather than a local initiative for a specific facility with a given location," Strand said. "This is also in line with international recommendations from the International Atomic Energy Agency."

Austrheim proposal

The proposal for an assessment programme is the first formal step in Norway towards establishing a nuclear power plant. The submission of a proposal by Norsk Kjernekraft in November 2023 for the Aure and Heim SMR plant was the first of many such proposals that have since been submitted for SMR plants in various locations across the country.

Today, Norsk Kjernekraft and Austrheim Municipality announced that the joint venture Fensfjorden Kjernekraft AS has submitted a notification with a proposal for an assessment programme to the Ministry of Energy. The notification marks the start of the formal regulatory process to assess the construction of a nuclear power plant in Austrheim Municipality, Vestland County.

In June 2024, the Norwegian government appointed a committee to conduct a broad review and assessment of various aspects of a possible future establishment of nuclear power in the country. It must deliver its report by 1 April 2026.