Norwegian municipalities initiate investigation work

Nuclear project developer Norsk Kjernekraft submitted a proposal to the ministry in November 2023 for an assessment of the construction of a small modular reactor (SMR) power plant in the municipalities of Aure and Heim in Trøndelag county. In April 2025, 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, the Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, and the Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection prepare an Environmental Impact Assessment programme for the proposed plant.

The Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Health and Care Services, and the Ministry of Climate and Environment established an impact assessment programme for the plans for the proposed plant in February this year, allowing investigation work to begin for the project - the first of ten projects that Norsk Kjernekraft is implementing in Norwegian municipalities. The study programme for Aure and Heim is scheduled to take two years to complete.

Last month, several other municipalities proposing SMR power plants announced they had decided to initiate investigation work for their respective projects based on the framework prepared for the project in Aure and Heim. Several of the topics in the programme are general and directly transferable to other projects.

Øygarden Kjernekraft AS, which previously submitted a proposal for an investigation programme for a possible nuclear power plant in Øygarden, said it has now decided to initiate investigation work for the project. In the first phase, the company will focus particularly on the topics in chapter 4.5 of the study programme for Aure and Heim, which deals with the non-proliferation of nuclear material and its security control. "This is an area where there are already established international standards, and where Norway will be part of a comprehensive and existing control regime," said Håvard Kristiansen, Director of Licensing and Nuclear Safety at Norsk Kjernekraft. "The investigation work will include answers to how a facility can be designed and operated in accordance with requirements from international bodies such as the International Atomic Energy Agency, as well as how supervision and control of nuclear material can be implemented in practice."

Meanwhile, Dalane Kjernekraft AS - which has proposed a nuclear power plant in the Dalane region - has decided to initiate investigation work for the project, initially focusing on the topics in Chapter 4.1 and Chapter 12 of the study programme for Aure and Heim. This includes the design of the nuclear plant itself, as well as assessments of costs and financing, topics that are closely related. "Chapter 4.1 provides guidelines for how the facility should be designed and planned," said Steffen Oliver Sæle, CEO of Dalane Kjernekraft AS and Chief Engineer of Norsk Kjernekraft. "This covers everything from technology choices and safety solutions to space requirements and integration with existing infrastructure." Idar Sønstabø, Chairman of the Board of Dalane Kjernekraft AS, added: "Chapter 12 is about getting a realistic picture of costs and financing. This is crucial for assessing whether and how a project can be realised."

Lister Kjernekraft AS has also decided to initiate investigation work for its project to build a nuclear power plant in the Lister region. In the first phase, Lister Kjernekraft will focus particularly on the topics in chapter 4 of the study programme, with emphasis on securing the facility, nuclear fuel and the fuel cycle. "These are fundamental conditions for all nuclear power projects," said Øyvind Aas-Hansen , Director of Government and Society at Norsk Kjernekraft. "It is about how the plant is to be secured, how fuel is handled throughout its life cycle, and how requirements for safety, control and non-proliferation are met." The investigation work will include assessments of physical security of the facility, emergency preparedness, handling of nuclear fuel, and how the fuel cycle can be organised in line with international requirements and best practice.

Grenland Kjernekraft AS's investigation work for its project for a plant in Grenland will initially focus on topics related to decommissioning, in line with Chapter 8 of the study programme for Aure and Heim. This includes how a nuclear power plant should be decommissioned and cleaned up once it is decommissioned. The investigation work will include how the facility can be designed for efficient and safe decommissioning, handling of radioactive material, and how costs and responsibilities can be managed throughout its entire lifespan. "Having a clear plan for the entire life cycle, including decommissioning, is crucial for confidence in nuclear power," said Susanne Møgster Sperrevik, Director of Corporate Governance at Norsk Kjernekraft. "Since this forms a central part of the ongoing political debate, this is an area we want to shed light on in depth at an early stage."

Varanger Kjernekraft AS also announced it had decided to initiate study work for its project in Vardø - the second location to be proposed, after the project in Aure and Heim. Its investigation will initially focus on identifying the expertise needed throughout the facility's life cycle, in line with Chapter 5 of the study programme for Aure and Heim. "We will identify what expertise is needed both in the development phase and in the long-term operating phase, and use that as the basis for a strategy for how it can be developed or attracted," Kristiansen said. "This is also an important contribution to answering the question of whether Norway has sufficient expertise to develop nuclear power."

Fensfjorden Kjernekraft AS has decided to initiate work on an impact assessment for a possible nuclear power plant Austrheim and Alver municipalities in the Mongstad region. In the initial phase, Fensfjorden Kjernekraft will prioritise the investigation of topics including radiation protection and handling of radioactive waste. "These are areas of expertise that require special expertise that we have to a lesser extent locally today, and they are topics that concern the population," said Morten Sognnes, board member of Fensfjorden Kjernekraft and mayor of Austrheim municipality. "Therefore, we want to shed light on these topics early on, so that they receive extra thorough treatment."

"This is the start of a long-term effort to assess nuclear power as a possible part of future energy supply," Sperrevik said. "We have noted that the assessment programme for Aure and Heim requires the project owner to assess alternative locations both regionally and nationally. The goal of starting assessment work in several locations is to ensure a good decision-making basis for such an assessment - ​​both for Norsk Kjernekraft and our subsidiaries, but not least for authorities, local communities and other stakeholders."