Norway’s Ministry of Energy has approved an impact assessment programme for Norsk Kjernekraft’s proposed small modular reactor (SMR) project at Taftøy Industrial Park, in the border area between Aure and Heim municipalities in Trøndelag county. The decision marks a formal step in evaluating the country’s first proposed nuclear power project.
Norsk Kjernekraft first submitted its proposal in November 2023, outlining plans for a facility comprising multiple SMRs capable of generating around 12.5 TWh of electricity annually if fully developed. The ministries of Energy, Health and Care Services, Justice and Public Security, and Climate and Environment had previously tasked several national agencies, including the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate and the Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, with preparing the environmental assessment process.
Following domestic and cross-border consultations, which concluded on 6 January 2026, the Ministry of Energy established the official framework. The impact assessment will form a key part of the evidence base for potential concession applications under Norway’s Atomic Energy and Energy Acts.
Minister of Energy Terje Aasland emphasised that the approval sets minimum requirements for evaluation but does not represent a policy decision on nuclear power’s role in Norway’s energy system. Norsk Kjernekraft CEO Jonny Hesthammer welcomed the outcome, calling it “a big step forward for nuclear power in Norway” and noting that detailed planning for community engagement and assessment work will now proceed.
The Aure-Heim project is the first of ten proposed SMR initiatives Norsk Kjernekraft plans to pursue in Norwegian municipalities.
