Norway is considering introducing nuclear energy
The Norwegian government on Friday appointed a commission to assess whether the country should develop nuclear energy as a source of electricity.
Kristin Halvorsen, former finance minister and currently director of the Center for International Climate and Environmental Research in Oslo, will lead the committee, which is due to deliver its report with findings by April 1, 2026.
Norway abandoned the idea of nuclear power as an energy source in the 1970s, but is now reviewing that decision.
The issue of nuclear energy in the country is back on the agenda for Norway, due to the need for stable, emission-free energy, which can help meet the growing demand for electricity, and the plans of private companies to start nuclear energy production in collaboration with some Norwegian municipalities, Norwegian Energy Minister Terje Aasland said in a statement.
The newly created committee will have to provide a comprehensive review and evaluation of all aspects of potential nuclear energy development in Norway, the Government noted.
Currently, hydropower accounts for around 88% of Norway's electricity generation capacity , while wind farms account for another 11%. However, these are energies that depend on atmospheric factors and therefore may not be available continuously. Energy problems have recently even hit the country's important natural gas sector.
Norway joins many other Western countries that have doubled down on nuclear power following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the energy crisis. After the start of the war and a series of Western sanctions that disrupted the energy market, nuclear energy has regained much support in Europe as a critical aspect of reaching net zero by 2050. Many Western countries, with the notable exception of Germany , they have recognized that nuclear power generation would help them meet net-zero emissions goals.
Norway's neighbor, Sweden, for example, plans to build two new nuclear reactors by 2035, with a view to low-carbon energy security, with 10 new reactors planned by 2045.
The country expects a surge in energy demand from its industrial and transportation sectors, in the form of a doubling of demand by 2045, and Energy Minister Ebba Busch called the move “decisive for the green transition, for Swedish jobs and, above all, for the well-being of our citizens.”
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The article Norway is considering introducing nuclear energy comes from Economic Scenarios .
This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/la-norvegia-sta-valutando-di-introdurre-lenergia-nucleare/ on Sat, 22 Jun 2024 05:15:00 +0000.