Site identified for proposed Halden SMR power plant

Monday, 6 January 2025

Halden Kjernekraft - 20% owned by Halden municipality with Norsk Kjernekraft and Østfold Energi owning 40% each - was set up in November 2023 to investigate the construction of a nuclear power plant using small modular reactors (SMRs).

The initiative to investigate the deployment of SMRs at Halden, in southeast Norway, came from the municipality itself, which has more than 60 years of experience of hosting the Institute for Energy Technology's nuclear fuel and materials testing reactor. It was declared permanently shut down by the institute in June 2018.

The power plant proposed for Halden may consist of up to four SMRs with a total installed capacity of 1200 MWe and an annual production of 10 TWh.

"In choosing the location, emphasis has been placed on, among other things, stable ground conditions with large flat areas, as well as access to cooling water and a power grid," Norsk Kjernekraft said. "The area is sparsely populated and has good road connections."

The land identified as the potential location for the plant is owned by Store Bjørnstad AS and the agreement covers an area of ​​up to 600 acres (243 hectares).

The next phase of the project will involve detailed studies of all aspects of the proposed location. This includes, among other things, safety, nature conservation, environmental impacts, ecosystem services, emergency preparedness, ground conditions, landscape, infrastructure, grid connection, traffic and outdoor recreation considerations.

"The location, which is located on the south side of the outlet of the Haldenvassdraget to Femsjøen, stands out as a good fit," said Håvard Kristiansen, CEO of Halden Kjernekraft. "We have considered many alternative locations before we decided to investigate this location further. Now we will work closely with the local population to explain what the ongoing investigations include, and what a nuclear power plant could potentially entail. We will investigate the area thoroughly to see if we can move forward."

In addition, space is being set aside for the same type of radioactive waste storage facility as in Finland and Sweden, which can handle the waste from future nuclear power plants in Norway as well as the existing waste from the decommissioned research reactors at Kjeller and in Halden.

"This is an important milestone for the development of nuclear power in Norway," said Norsk Kjernekraft CEO Jonny Hesthammer. "Not only are we launching a location for a nuclear power plant that can ensure security of supply in Eastern Norway, we have also identified a place where we can manage the waste."

Last month, US-based engineering company Amentum and Norwegian consulting firm Multiconsult Norge AS were appointed by Halden Kjernekraft to evaluate the potential for constructing an SMR at Halden. The two companies will carry out an assessment of potential suppliers of equipment and services within Norway and from abroad, as well as reporting on technical standards, environmental impact and other key aspects of any construction programme.

At the time of the launch of Halden Kjernekraft, the partners noted there was currently a power deficit in the Oslo, Akershus and Østfold region of 16 TWh. In addition, Norwegian grid operator Statnett has warned that there is no available capacity for new, larger consumption without new production and increased network capacity into eastern Norway. This is not expected until 2035 under current plans and has major consequences for Østfold.

"The location midway between Oslo and Gothenburg makes Halden a very attractive area for data centres that supply users of artificial intelligence, because such data centres must be located close to the users," Hesthammer said. "A ripple effect analysis from Menon Economics has shown that such a data centre could create several hundred jobs in Halden, in addition to the jobs at the power plant itself." 

Norsk Kjernekraft aims to build, own and operate SMR power plants in Norway in collaboration with power-intensive industry. It says it will prepare licence applications in accordance with national regulations and international standards. It will follow the International Atomic Energy Agency's approach for milestones, and focus on what creates value in the early phase. Financing will take place in collaboration with capital-strong industry and solid financial players.

The company said it plans to soon submit the project to Norway's Ministry of Energy, together with a proposal for an assessment programme.

Halden is the fourth possible location for a nuclear power plant that Norsk Kjernekraft has announced. In August last year, it submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Energy for an assessment of the construction of a power plant based on multiple SMRs in the municipality of Øygarden, west of Bergen. That proposal followed proposals submitted for SMR power plants in Aure and Heim municipalities, as well as Vardø municipality.