In April last year, the municipality of Vardø in Finnmark proposed the nearby Svartnes site as a potential location for a nuclear power plant to Norsk Kjernekraft, which aims to build, own, and operate SMR power plants in Norway in partnership with power-intensive industries. By June 2023, Vardø municipality and Norsk Kjernekraft had entered into an agreement to prepare a report outlining a study programme.
Norsk Kjernekraft, in collaboration with Vardø, assessed the energy situation in Finnmark and evaluated the local conditions at Svartnes. Based on these findings, they proposed a nuclear power plant with a capacity of up to 600 MWe and an annual output of up to 5 TWh, enough to triple Finnmark’s power supply.
The report submitted to the Ministry of Energy describes the local conditions for constructing and operating a nuclear power plant at Svartnes outside Vardø and outlines the topics for a future impact assessment. The initial findings suggest the site is suitable for the proposed purpose.
The proposed study programme will focus on evaluating the societal and environmental impacts of the power plant’s construction, operation, and decommissioning. Once approved by the ministry, an environmental impact assessment will commence.
Vardø is highlighted as an urban community with strong public services and a diverse working environment, making it feasible to attract the necessary workforce for the plant’s construction and operation. Additional advantages include existing power lines and a substation, good road connections, ports, ample space for the plant and power-intensive industries, access to cooling water, stable ground conditions, and local political support for nuclear power. The report also notes that a nuclear power plant in the far east of the country would emphasize Norway’s commitment to asserting its sovereignty.
Due to limited network capacity in Vardø, Norsk Kjernekraft will consider alternative locations in Finnmark before starting the impact assessment.
Currently, Finnmark generates electricity using hydro plants and wind turbines. During periods of low wind, the region relies on power supplies from other parts of Norway and Finland. The proposed nuclear power plant would generate electricity independent of weather conditions, significantly improving power supply reliability throughout northern Scandinavia and helping to meet the expected power demand.
Norsk Kjernekraft’s announcement serves to inform relevant authorities and stakeholders about the consideration of constructing a nuclear power plant in Vardø and to invite other municipalities to express interest in exploring alternative locations within their jurisdictions.
The company also plans to utilize a significant portion of the plant’s excess heat for industrial applications, food production, district heating, and other uses. The power plant could enable the establishment of local industries, such as data centers, hydrogen production, mineral extraction, green shipping, and food production.
Norsk Kjernekraft CEO Jonny Hesthammer stated, “A nuclear power plant in Vardø will provide Finnmark with large amounts of stable power, create hundreds of jobs, and secure power supply in a strategically important part of our country. Additionally, it will reinforce Norwegian sovereignty and ensure a Norwegian presence. This report will be a crucial part of the knowledge base for the government’s upcoming investigation into nuclear power in Norway.”
Vardø mayor Tor-Erik Labahå added, “A nuclear power plant in Vardø will strengthen the community in the far north-east of Norway and supply new industries across the entire Eastern Finnmark region.”
In November, Norsk Kjernekraft proposed to the Ministry of Energy an assessment for constructing an SMR power plant in the municipalities of Aure and Heim in southwestern Norway. In April this year, the company initiated an impact assessment for a site in Øygarden municipality, west of Bergen, to evaluate the possibility of establishing a nuclear power plant with up to five SMRs.
Additionally, Norsk Kjernekraft, Østfold Energi, and the municipality of Halden have founded a new company, Halden Kjernekraft AS, to explore constructing an SMR-based nuclear power plant in Halden, where a research reactor once operated.
4o