Norwegian company Trondheimsleia Kjernkraft has been established with the goal of constructing up to 1,500 MWe of nuclear power in Aure and Heim municipalities. Earlier this month, the Norwegian government commissioned several agencies to develop an Environmental Impact Assessment programme for the proposed SMR power plant in Aure and Heim. Recommendations are expected before the summer, and no later than September.
Trondheimsleia Kjernkraft is a partnership between the host municipalities, local energy company NEAS and Norsk Kjernkraft, which in 2023 started the planning process for the plant. Following this initiative, the Norwegian authorities initiated a process to launch an investigation programme for the facility.
If the project is realised in its entirety, it will correspond to almost 10% of all Norwegian power production and all developed wind power in Norway today. The construction phase will lead to considerable employment both locally and in the Norwegian supplier industry. The plant will be able to directly employ several hundred workers during operation and indirectly contribute even more jobs.
“With the foundation of the company, we have positioned our region well to realise our ambitions to cut greenhouse gas emissions, while preserving nature,” said mayors Marit Liabo Sandvik (Heim) and Henning Torset (Aure) in a joint statement. “These goals must be met without compromising local jobs. Nuclear power can meet the ever-increasing demand for power while meeting all the other goals and was therefore considered a good option. The reception among the locals has so far been good, and we will work to ensure that this continues.”
If everything goes according to plan, investigations can begin this year. “The dialogue with residents, business and politicians in Heim and Aure municipalities has been very constructive and good, said Managing Director of Norsk Kjernkraft, Jonny Hesthammer. “The municipalities were early in initiating the process for nuclear power, including notification of an investigation programme to the Ministry of Energy, and are thus very well placed to be among the first facilities in Norway.”
He added: “The plant will have a lifetime of up to a hundred years, so this is value creation from a generational perspective. Grandchildren of children who today give birth, will actually be able to have their jobs at the facility.”
NEAS Managing Director Knut Hansen emphasised the need for regional growth. “More og Romsdal is a region with power-intensive industry, and new production of power in the region has long been the most important challenge to enable further growth. With this facility, all new needs will be able to meet for a long time to come and companies will be able to see the possibilities for development and cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.”
In February, Norsk Kjernekraft signed a letter of intent with Sandvika-headquartered consultant engineering company Norconsult to promote the development of nuclear power in Norway. Norsk Kjernekraft, established in 2022 by the M West Group, is aiming to build and operate NPPs based on SMRs. The company believes electrification will be difficult or impossible without reliable baseload power from, among other things, nuclear power.
Norsk Kjernekraft has entered into agreements of intent to investigate nuclear power with a number of municipalities. In August 2024, it submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Energy to assess the possible construction of a NPP in the municipality of Øygarden (Vestland county), west of Bergen. This followed similar cooperation with the Lyngdal and Farsund municipalities (Agder county), Lund municipality (Rogaland county), Vardø municipality Finnmark county), Aure minicipality (Møre og Romsdal county), Heim (Trøndelag county), and Narvik (Nordland county).
In addition, Norwegian nuclear research organisation Halden Kjernekraft has selected a site in Haldenfor the construction of a NPP using SMRs. Halden Kjernekraft was established in 2023, by Halden municipality, Østfold Energi and Norsk Kjernekraft.
