• Assessment of proposed Norwegian SMR plant to begin 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 in Trøndelag county. • 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 last 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, the Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, and the Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection prepare an Environmental Impact Assessment programme for the proposed plant. • A notification with a proposal for an assessment programme for the project was published for consultation in Norway by the Ministry of Energy in May 2024 with a deadline for submissions that same autumn. • At the request of the Ministry of Energy, the Norwegian Environment Agency submitted the proposed impact assessment programme for consultation by neighbouring countries, giving them the opportunity to assess the impacts this could have on them, so that this can be investigated further in a possible further process of planning the licence application and operation.

Article Summaries:

  • Norway’s Ministry of Energy has finalized an impact‑assessment programme for a proposed small modular reactor (SMR) plant in the Taftøy industrial park on the Aure‑Heim border. The plant, planned to house several SMRs and generate about 12.5 TWh of electricity per year, will be evaluated under the programme, which sets minimum requirements for environmental, safety and other assessments. The programme, approved after consultations with ministries, the Norwegian Environment Agency, and neighbouring countries, will form the basis for any future licences or permits. While the government has not yet decided on nuclear power, the programme marks a formal step toward a possible SMR project.

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