The new renewables plan in Vestland County Municipality points to various technologies “that may be relevant for the planning period”. The plan, which is the first of its kind, specifies that “there are no concrete plans for nuclear power in the county”, but adds that small modular reactors (SMR) are “very safe”, “competitive on price” and that “the first can be in operation in the 2030s”. – I interpret it as more and more people realizing how important nuclear power is in the energy mix, says member of the county council, Frank Willy Djuvik (Frp). In 2003, he proposed that Norway should build nuclear power plants, and that Florø or Gulen at the far end of the Sognefjord could be suitable as sites for the production and storage of nuclear waste. The play was met with head shaking and laughter. Now he states that what was a radical proposal “has become mainstream”. – It’s a shame that it took so long, and that it took another energy crisis before people saw the potential of nuclear power, he says. Frank Willy Djuvik (Frp) wants a nuclear power plant near the Sognefjord. Photo: Håvard Nyhus / news Other sources news has been in contact with express unease and fear about how “housewarming” nuclear power has become. – It is quite surprising that the county council chooses to refer to nuclear power in such an uncritical way. I can congratulate the supporters of nuclear energy on their successful lobbying, says Truls Gulowsen, who is the leader of the Norwegian Nature Conservation Association. The fight against nuclear power has also been part of SV’s DNA: – The fight against nuclear power and nuclear weapons are closely linked. I am therefore very skeptical that nuclear power has entered the plan, says Marianne Sæhle, who is a county council representative in Vestland SV. Are you worried about the waste from nuclear power plants? Yes No Don’t know Show result A symbolic part of the environmental movement In the Storting message “Energy to work”, which sets a course for the energy nation Norway, nuclear power is not mentioned in a single word. But in the last year, the energy crisis has led to a renewed debate about energy sources, and to overturn established fronts and decisions. Finland started up its first new nuclear reactor in 40 years earlier this year, and a short time ago Germany decided to extend the operation of two nuclear power plants. An “admission” that sat deep since the fight against nuclear power has been a symbolic part of the German environmental movement and the “iconography of the Federal Republic” ever since the 70s. The Norwegian nuclear debate has not been as closely linked to questions of identity, but has historically had strong opposing forces among nature conservationists and on the left. Øyvind Strømmen, who represents MDG in the county council, says the renewables plan “shows that the debate about nuclear power is changing, also in Norway”. – In the transition from a fossil-dependent society to a fossil-free society, new power production is needed, and in my view it is appropriate to mention new nuclear power technology in this context, he says. – I think it is resilient that Vestland county Kristin Linnerud, professor of renewable energy at Norway’s University of Environmental and Biosciences (NMBU). – I think it is resilient that Vestland County is open to following alternative paths to a carbon-neutral future. The county was also early on investigating the possibilities for hydrogen in the marine sector. At the same time, I am skeptical about investing in nuclear power in Norway. First and foremost because we have so many strong cards in other energy areas. Natalia Golis, MDG – It is too early to say whether small modular reactors can be relevant in Western Norway. But sometimes you have to raise the possibilities so that those who are in charge in the next round have a knowledge base on which they can make good decisions. That is what we are doing with this renewable plan. We think long-term and recognize that we do not have all the answers today. Just think about what were commonly accepted truths 20 years ago, and which we see today were wrong. Tore Kanstad, chairman of the association Climate Friends for Nuclear Power – It is gratifying to see that Vestland county council takes nuclear power seriously, because with him decarbonisation will be much easier. It seems that they look beyond the established solutions, and have understood how disruptive SMRs can be. Here we are talking about a completely different type of investment than conventional nuclear power plants. Nils Morten Huseby, managing director of IFE – If we are to reach the 1.5 degree target for global warming, all calculation scenarios show that increased use of nuclear power is necessary. The biggest challenges to building this in Norway are acceptance by the population, long and demanding regulatory processes and, in addition, a lack of sufficient expertise. In order for this to become a reality in the future, it is therefore important to have an informed and fact-based debate on the topic, and furthermore that we continue to invest in research and development and build expertise in the area. Pål Nygaard, historian at BI School of Economics – It is very interesting that nuclear power has entered the climate plan for Vestland, and that says a lot about how much has changed in 1–2 years. Because I think this would have been completely out of the question two years ago. Here I think that the new energy situation with Russia’s tight grip on Europe’s energy markets due to the fact that Europe has become dependent on Russian gas over time is the most important background. But since there is now a huge gap between the supply of energy and the demand for energy, everything is suddenly different. Truls Gulowsen, leader of the Nature Conservation Association – It is rather startling that Vestland county council chooses to refer to nuclear power in such an uncritical way. SMR may be available in 15 years, but that is for countries with experience with nuclear power, not Norway. It is also strange that Norway’s most powerful region, with access to enormous amounts of adjustable hydropower and after 2030 will probably also become a landing site for a great deal of offshore wind, believes that precisely this region will need nuclear power. Jan Emblemsvåg Professor, NTNU – This is very positive, and is probably driven by the fact that people see that the current energy policy causes great volatility in prices and that in reality you cannot rely on wind power. What we see now is that many people are holding back on investments because the energy situation is so uncertain; in Germany, several large companies have signaled that they will move out or stop investing. For Western Norway, a similar development would be devastating for power-intensive industry and a number of other industries. – It is not clear that nuclear power is a good idea in Norway Leader of the main committee for industry that Vestland county municipality, Tor Andre Ljosland (KrF) points out that “nuclear power is a common part of the energy mix in our neighboring countries”, but clarifies: – I don’t think either KrF or a political majority in the county council is close to giving the go-ahead for nuclear power, and the consultation draft does not suggest that either. In a survey conducted by Norstat, nearly half of Norwegians under the age of 40 answer that they welcome nuclear power. NVE director Kjetil Lund will “not want to interfere in the climate plan of Vestland county municipality”, but says it “is good that existing nuclear power is now not being shut down in several European countries”. – Whether nuclear power is a good idea in Norway is still not clear. We have neither the institutions, the experience nor the expertise. And we already have access to a lot of emission-free and stable power from other sources. Several business parks “crying for power” Norsk Kjernekraft AS, which was founded in July, informed the Directorate of Radiation Protection earlier in the autumn that they wish to build small modular reactors within “eight to ten years”. Earlier in November, it was known that the company is establishing itself in Kristiansand. news has previously written about business parks as a “cry for power” and how “industrial companies all over the country are being held back by a lack of power”. – In that light, it seems very sensible not to close the door to nuclear power, says Jonny Hesthammer, who is chairman of Norsk Kjernekraft. He adds: – Another advantage of nuclear power is that it requires minimal land. Vestland has beautiful and vulnerable nature, and modular reactors take up no more space than a football stadium.
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