Jul 31, 2025
Korean SMRs will be evaluated for a Norwegian project.
Norway's Trondheimsleia Kjernekraft AS and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power will carry out a feasibility study for a power plant featuring multiple Korean-designed i-SMR reactors in Aure and Heim municipalities. This study, supported by Korea Eximbank, will evaluate the technical, environmental, and regulatory aspects involved in establishing these innovative small modular reactors, developed by KHNP, with work expected to commence in the latter half of 2025.
The i-SMR, a type of integrated pressurized water reactor, has an output of 170 MW and is being developed with a roadmap aiming for its standard design completion by the end of 2025 and design approval by 2028. KHNP claims it will need only one-third of the investment and can be built in half the time compared to larger reactors.
Trondheimsleia Kjernekraft was established in April by the municipalities of Aure and Heim, local energy company NEAS, and Norwegian nuclear developer Norsk Kjernekraft to focus on SMR-based power generation.
In January, KHNP and Norsk Kjernekraft signed a memorandum to collaborate on sharing information and conducting preliminary feasibility studies for the i-SMR.
Steffen Oliver Sæle, CEO of Trondheimsleia Kjernekraft, emphasized the desire to develop nuclear energy in Norway through partnerships with leading global companies, highlighting the collaboration with KHNP—which constructed the Barakah nuclear plant in the UAE—as a key aspect of this strategy.
Seungyeol Lim, KHNP's Vice President of International Business Development, noted that Norwegian municipalities support SMR technology to boost the local economy and secure energy supply. KHNP is working with Norsk Kjernekraft on a feasibility study for an i-SMR project tailored to local conditions, aiming to progress it into a commercial project.
This i-SMR initiative is notably the first to receive backing from Korea Eximbank's international feasibility study program, adding significant value to the endeavor.
In a joint statement, the mayors of Aure and Heim expressed their enthusiasm for KHNP's interest in their region, aiming to collaborate with local businesses and NEAS to create a regional energy surplus for future green industries.
Norsk Kjernekraft plans to build, own, and operate SMR power plants in partnership with energy-intensive industries, intending to prepare licensing applications per national regulations and international standards, following International Atomic Energy Agency guidelines for milestones.
Aure and Heim is one of four potential sites for a nuclear power plant, with Vardø, Øygarden, and Halden being the others. In November 2023, Norsk Kjernekraft proposed to Norway's Ministry of Energy an assessment for building an SMR plant in the Taftøy industrial park, which straddles Aure and Heim in Trøndelag county. If realized, the plant will incorporate several SMRs with a total capacity of up to 1500 MWe. In April, the Norwegian government tasked several agencies with developing an Environmental Impact Assessment program for the proposed SMR plant.
The i-SMR, a type of integrated pressurized water reactor, has an output of 170 MW and is being developed with a roadmap aiming for its standard design completion by the end of 2025 and design approval by 2028. KHNP claims it will need only one-third of the investment and can be built in half the time compared to larger reactors.
Trondheimsleia Kjernekraft was established in April by the municipalities of Aure and Heim, local energy company NEAS, and Norwegian nuclear developer Norsk Kjernekraft to focus on SMR-based power generation.
In January, KHNP and Norsk Kjernekraft signed a memorandum to collaborate on sharing information and conducting preliminary feasibility studies for the i-SMR.
Steffen Oliver Sæle, CEO of Trondheimsleia Kjernekraft, emphasized the desire to develop nuclear energy in Norway through partnerships with leading global companies, highlighting the collaboration with KHNP—which constructed the Barakah nuclear plant in the UAE—as a key aspect of this strategy.
Seungyeol Lim, KHNP's Vice President of International Business Development, noted that Norwegian municipalities support SMR technology to boost the local economy and secure energy supply. KHNP is working with Norsk Kjernekraft on a feasibility study for an i-SMR project tailored to local conditions, aiming to progress it into a commercial project.
This i-SMR initiative is notably the first to receive backing from Korea Eximbank's international feasibility study program, adding significant value to the endeavor.
In a joint statement, the mayors of Aure and Heim expressed their enthusiasm for KHNP's interest in their region, aiming to collaborate with local businesses and NEAS to create a regional energy surplus for future green industries.
Norsk Kjernekraft plans to build, own, and operate SMR power plants in partnership with energy-intensive industries, intending to prepare licensing applications per national regulations and international standards, following International Atomic Energy Agency guidelines for milestones.
Aure and Heim is one of four potential sites for a nuclear power plant, with Vardø, Øygarden, and Halden being the others. In November 2023, Norsk Kjernekraft proposed to Norway's Ministry of Energy an assessment for building an SMR plant in the Taftøy industrial park, which straddles Aure and Heim in Trøndelag county. If realized, the plant will incorporate several SMRs with a total capacity of up to 1500 MWe. In April, the Norwegian government tasked several agencies with developing an Environmental Impact Assessment program for the proposed SMR plant.