Norway’s Norsk Kjernekraft has signed a letter of intent with Sandvika-headquartered consultant engineering company Norconsult to promote the development of nuclear power in Norway. The agreement will initially facilitate cooperation on specific projects. Norsk Kjernekraft, established in 2022 by the M West Group, is aiming to build and operate NPPs based on small modular reactors (SMRs). The company believes electrification will be difficult or impossible without reliable baseload power from, among other things, nuclear power.
“By combining the technological innovation of Norsk Kjernekraft and Norconsult’s advisory expertise, the companies will be able to strengthen each other and together develop responsible decision-making to serve future energy needs,” said Norsk Kjernekraft CEO Jonny Hesthammer.
“Norconsult’s experience with large and complex projects will be very valuable in the efforts to investigate the possibility of nuclear power projects in Norway, said Montserrat F Telset, regional director west of Norconsult. “Through this agreement, Norconsult will contribute its competence to ensure that all necessary analyses and investigations are carried out in a thorough and factual way.”
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.
