Nordic country also studying options for first commercial reactor construction
Norwegian Nuclear Decommissioning (NND) has sent letters to 22 Norwegian municipalities with an invitation to participate in a further process with the aim of locating nuclear waste facilities.
NND, a government agency, said the establishment of the facilities is necessary for it to be able to carry out its mission to clean up after the Norwegian nuclear research programme. The 22 municipalities were selected after a comprehensive assessment based on 18 different criteria, NND said.
Martin Andreasson, director of communications at NND, aid: “We are not now asking for a final ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to specific facilities on specific plots of land.
“What we are asking for is a clarification of whether the municipality is positive about participating in further investigation, dialogue and any planning processes related to the location of facilities for Norwegian radioactive waste.”
The 22 municipalities are: 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, Ås
NND plans to build a range of different facilities including storage for low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste, storage for used nuclear fuel, a treatment plant where waste can be sorted, processed and treated, and final disposal landfills including deep disposal for used fuel and high-level radioactive waste.
Norway has never had commercial nuclear power plants, but has operated two research reactors for the production of medical radioisotopes and research purposes.
The two research reactors are the nuclear fuel and materials testing reactor at Halden and the Jeep II neutron scattering facility at Kjeller. They were permanently shut down in June 2018 and April 2019 respectively.
The country has a disposal facility for low and medium level radioactive waste from radioactive sources used in industry and medicine as well as that generated by the research reactors.
In June the Norwegian Nuclear Commission chose US-based Amentum and engineering consulting company Multiconsult Norge to study technology options for a potential nuclear power programme – the latest step in a process that could see the country deploy commercial nuclear plants for the first time.
