Embassy of Finland in Oslo housed discussions on nuclear cooperation at beginning of April
Finnish and Norwegian businesses have plenty of cooperation potential in the field of nuclear power. That was the spearhead topic in the event organised on 1 April in the Embassy of Finland in the heart of Oslo. The event was designed to showcase the competences and strengths of Finnish nuclear industries with Norwegian businesses taking the opportunity to present their own expertise for deployment in nuclear projects. Zero-carbon solutions have been highlighted also in the country of fjords as Norway ponders its energy future – and this has really boosted interest in nuclear at the present time.
The event organised by the Embassy of Finland in Oslo at the beginning of April stressed the significance of Nordic cooperation in the nuclear field. The panellists expressed their optimism about the possibility to extend the partnership to international markets outside the Nordic countries, utilising the strengths of each country in the development of the global nuclear energy business.
A panel discussion held during the event was moderated by Harri Varjonen from FinNuclear. He was joined in the exchange of ideas by the Managing Director of TVO Nuclear Services, Ari Leppänen, as well as Håvard Kristiansen who is the Chief of Operations of the local nuclear power company, Norske Kjernekraft.
Norway’s history in the use of nuclear power for research purposes dates back a long time, in practice to the end of the Second World War. But unlike Finland, nuclear has not previously been utilised for electricity production in Norway. In this respect, Norway is only just reviewing the possibilities it has and Finnish expertise in the field is of great interest.
- We can offer in Olkiluoto experience and expertise in the management of the entire lifecycle of a nuclear facility: project creation, licensing, construction, commissioning, and final disposal. And these competences can be taken advantage of also in SMR plant projects, Ari Leppänen reminded.
The panel brought up as the very first topics not only the most interesting but also the most surprising viewpoints regarding the nuclear energy industry in Finland. Another point that attracted a lot of interest was the public acceptance of nuclear power in Finland which is on an extremely high level in international comparison.
- The public acceptance of nuclear power has increased rapidly also in Norway, and particularly among the younger age groups, it was pointed out in the panel.
Strong industrial background supports vision
Despite Norway not having any previous experience in actual nuclear projects, the country’s very strong oil, gas, and maritime industries were considered to benefit also projects related to nuclear, both in the Nordic countries and globally.
A union of the expertise areas of Finland and Norway was seen as a rational solution, too. The main point pondered in the discussion was, therefore, whether Nordic cooperation should primarily focus on the development of supply chains in these countries or seek a competitive supply chain targeting the export markets.
The challenges identified by the panellists include those imposed by the new type of cross-border cooperation as well as the achievement of the extremely stringent quality and safety requirements which characterise the nuclear sector. But then, these were seen rather as minor hindrances than actual obstacles. The panel discussion which appeared to finish too quickly in the end came to the consensus that stronger cooperation between Finland and Norway in the energy sector, and particularly the nuclear industry, is definitely something to support. Some concrete ideas were also toyed with in the form of, for example, innovative partnerships and solutions.
- By combining the strengths and expertise of both countries we can genuinely create something new that will have positive impacts also outside the Nordic countries, Ari Leppänen summarised the output of the event at its conclusion.