Norwegian Nuclear Decommissioning (NND) has invited municipalities across the country to express interest in participating in the process of identifying suitable locations for future radioactive waste storage facilities. In total, 22 municipalities have been contacted as part of an initial outreach aimed at assessing willingness to engage in further dialogue and investigation, rather than selecting a final site at this stage.
Norway does not operate commercial nuclear power plants, but it previously ran two research reactors: the nuclear fuel and materials testing reactor at Halden and the JEEP-II neutron scattering facility at Kjeller. Both reactors were permanently shut down in 2018 and 2019, respectively, leaving the country with legacy nuclear materials that require long-term management.
NND emphasised that international experience shows social acceptance and local participation are critical to the successful siting of nuclear waste facilities. The letters sent to municipalities are intended to gauge interest in taking part in future studies, consultations and planning processes related to radioactive waste management. Municipalities that do not respond positively will be excluded from further consideration.
The 22 municipalities invited to participate were selected following a comprehensive assessment based on 18 criteria and include Aremark, Aurskog-Høland, Eidsvoll, Enebakk, Fredrikstad, Frogn, Gran, Halden, Inner Østfold, Lillestrøm, Marker, Nes, Nesodden, Nordre Follo, Rakkestad, Sarpsborg, Stange, Sør-Odal, Ullensaker, Vestby, Våler and Ås.
NND plans to develop several types of facilities, including storage for low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste, storage for used nuclear fuel, a waste treatment and processing plant, and final disposal solutions. These include surface and underground disposal facilities, as well as deep geological disposal for high-level waste and spent fuel.
According to NND, the site selection process will be open, evidence-based and verifiable, allowing alternative locations to be systematically compared. Evaluation criteria will include geology, natural hazards, land use and biodiversity, transport and energy access, socio-economic impacts, and the speed at which a viable solution can be implemented.
The initiative comes amid renewed discussion about nuclear energy in Norway. In June 2024, the government appointed a committee to assess the potential future role of nuclear power in the country, with a report due by April 2026. In parallel, Norway continues to strengthen its nuclear clean-up programme. In May, US-based engineering firm Amentum, together with Multiconsult Norge AS, was selected to support NND with safety case management and training for decommissioning and radioactive waste facilities, including the KLDRA storage and disposal site at Himdalen and the former research reactor locations.