He is one of the richest people in the country, with a fortune of over NOK 8 billion. The multi-billionaire from Bergen has for several decades been profiled as someone who gives large gifts of money to research, cross-country sports and advanced medical equipment. For the first time, Trond Mohn now gives an interview about his investment in nuclear power in Norway. He is the main shareholder in Norsk Kjernekraft AS, which was established last summer. – I can afford it. I think it’s great fun and positive. We are convinced that this will benefit – pardon the expression – humanity. – The nuclear power debate has increased since you invested in this. What do you think about it? – It is gratifying. Then I have achieved what I wanted – that this becomes a theme. Mohn believes that the catastrophic nuclear power accidents in Chernobyl in 1986 and Fukushima in 2011 are not good arguments against today’s nuclear power technology. But there are very divided opinions about the extent to which Norway should invest in nuclear power as an energy source (see fact box at the bottom). – Unethical and too late In the Storting, the Progress Party has recently proposed arrangements for nuclear power applications and Høgre has proposed a public assessment of nuclear power in Norway. The Nature Conservancy is among those who reject the idea of nuclear power production in Norway for several reasons. – Nuclear power cannot arrive in this country in time to contribute to Norway becoming fossil-free by 2040, says deputy manager Pernille Bonnevie Hansen. And it doesn’t help that nuclear power technology has progressed and will become increasingly safer, according to her. – We have not gotten past the biggest, most important and ethically problematic question: that nature should be passed on to new generations. Regardless of the nuclear power technology, we get radioactive waste that must be handled well beyond our own lifetime, says Hansen. Deputy owner Pernille Bonnevie Hansen of the Nature Conservation Association believes that Norwegian nuclear power is ethically problematic for new generations and does not resolve climate commitments in time. Photo: Naturvernforbundet Hevdar Norway has nuclear power in ten years Norsk Kjernekraft AS was founded in July 2022. news has previously stated that the company wishes to develop nuclear power in Norway without asking the state for money and “without being opposed”. Mohn hopes that the company can lead the way as “an inspiration”. – Someone has to start. We want to get it into universities and colleges that it makes sense to get involved in nuclear power. Especially among young people, nuclear power has become more popular. – They are the ones I should be listening to. The future is theirs. Mohn is certain that in ten years’ time Norway will have adopted nuclear power. – Then he underestimates the processes to open up a completely new form of energy in Norway. If Mohn wants to have nuclear power plants built within ten years, he should rather invest abroad, Hansen believes. The rich Labor Party man Trond Mohn (in the middle) invited Progress Party members to his home on Friday to discuss and talk about nuclear energy. Photo: Valentina Baisotti / news Ap-Mohn in alliance with Frp The philanthropic money-sprinkler has also been known for years as the powerful member of the Labor Party. But when he met news on Friday in the living room at his home in Bergen, he was together with a whole bunch from the Progress Party. The background for the somewhat unusual alliance is that the FRP also supports nuclear power and will discuss the topic at the county annual meeting of the Vestland FRP this weekend. – I completely agree on this, but not my party. Not yet, says Mohn. – We want to listen to Mohn’s thoughts. It is important to have a close and good dialogue with those who have dared to think new thoughts. This is according to Storting representative Helge André Njåstad. – We need nuclear power and want to use the current in Western Norway for jobs and industry. – It is important to have a close and good dialogue with those who have dared to think new thoughts, believes Helge André Njåstad (in the middle) in Trond Mohn’s living room. Photo: Valentina Baisotti / news “Nuclear power for the poor” Mohn refers to the electrification of the car fleet and of the oil and gas installations in the North Sea. – There will be a need for power that we cannot look away from. He also argues socially that high electricity prices hit the poor in the country the hardest. – Nuclear power will be significantly cheaper than what green power can give us. If one were to put on the social hat, everyone should cheer for getting nuclear power in Norway. That the Labor Party and the Minister of Energy are not positive about nuclear power, Mohn comments as follows: – The Minister of Energy must be loyal to what is determined in his party, but it can well be thought that he agrees with us personally. He believes that “all responsible parties” should agree that we should gain more knowledge about nuclear power. – Then I think the answer will be simple: it will be yes to nuclear power, according to Mohn. Energy minister: “Not right now” Oil and Energy Minister Terje Aasland (Ap) responds in writing to news, without commenting on Mohn’s claims directly: “There are several reasons why I think nuclear power is not right for Norway now. Firstly, it will take a long time – nuclear power will not solve our power situation in the next 10-20 years. It is expensive to build out nuclear power and there are waste issues.” Secondly, he points out that Norway has little expertise in the operation of nuclear power plants. “I would rather that we use our valuable expertise where we have a better starting point to invest. This applies, among other things, to the development of the oil and gas industry, floating offshore wind, existing power plants, onshore wind and hydrogen,” writes Aasland. Experts disagree on whether nuclear power is part of the solution to the climate problem. For and against Norwegian nuclear power Several countries have once again strengthened their own investment in nuclear power because the world is in an energy crisis. Among others, the government in Sweden has promised 400 billion Swedish kroner in government guarantees for a large-scale development of nuclear power. Nils Morten Huseby, managing director of the Institute for Energy Engineering (IFE) said this to news in November: – 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. His colleague in IFE, head of department Ole Christen Reistad Reistad at the Department of Environmental Safety and Radiation Protection, is a former reactor manager at Norway’s last nuclear reactor, the Jeep II reactor at Kjeller, which was shut down in 2019. He does not wish to comment on this case, but talk about the topic on news Debate on 24 January. He pointed to nuclear power as a necessary part of the energy mix to reach the climate goals in all scenarios. He is positive about nuclear power globally, but does not necessarily think that nuclear power in Norway is the solution. Managing director Stein Lier-Hansen of the industry organization Norsk Industri has made a complete turnaround. On 29 January, he told E24 that “we have no faith in nuclear power”. On 2 February, Nettavisen wrote that he no longer thinks so. Oil and Energy Minister Terje Aasland (Ap) has indicated on a more pragmatic basis that the technology is not mature. – New modular plants are still only at the pilot stage, and not relevant for the Norwegian power supply, he told Nettavisen at the end of January. Hroar Holm Carlsen in Høyanger Høgre rejects the nuclear power proposal on the same basis: The question of power supply is acute, and nuclear power is not a quick enough answer. – Nuclear power will not solve the energy shortage that will occur within 5-7 years. It takes much longer to get this in place. Windmills, on the other hand, are a fairly quick route to more electricity production, at least if they are built in an area close to high-voltage lines with excess capacity, such as in the Høyanger mountains. The fight against nuclear power has been an important issue for SV: – The fight against nuclear power and nuclear weapons are closely related. I am therefore very skeptical that nuclear power has entered the plan, says Marianne Sæhle, who is a county council representative in Vestland SV. Recently, the International Energy Agency (IEA) released a report with the news that subsidies to fossil fuel consumers more than doubled during the last year. The IEA has calculated that more than one trillion dollars (ten thousand billion kroner) went to subsidize fossil consumption in 2022. The climate summit in Glasgow the year before decided to phase out fossil subsidies.
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Trond Mohn and Frp want to invest in nuclear power – news Vestland
