Science Speaks. The Evidence Is Already In.
The Norwegian Nuclear Power Commission has delivered its verdict, and it doesn't stand alone. It is backed by decades of hard lessons from across Europe: nuclear power is not the right path for Norway right now.
The commission found that building nuclear capacity in Norway would take at least 20 years, cost more than current electricity prices can justify, and delay investments in technologies that come online far sooner. But we don't need to take that as a theoretical risk. We only need to look at what is already happening in our neighbouring countries.
The European track record is sobering.
France's Flamanville EPR reactor took over 12 years longer than planned and ended up costing more than seven times its original budget, ballooning from roughly €3.3 billion to over €23 billion when financing costs over 17 years of delays are included, before finally connecting to the grid in 2024. Finland's Olkiluoto 3 EPR took 18 years to complete, nearly four times its original timeline, at a final cost of €11 billion against an initial estimate of €3 billion. And in the UK, Hinkley Point C, still under construction, has seen its price tag explode from an original £18 billion to estimates now reaching £46–48 billion, with electricity ultimately priced at guaranteed rates far above current market prices. These are not anomalies. They are the rule.
This is the industrial and financial reality of new-build nuclear in the 21st century: chronic delays, massive cost overruns, and electricity that is structurally uncompetitive. Norway would be entering this market as a complete newcomer, with no existing supply chain, no trained workforce, and no regulatory framework. That makes our risk exposure even greater than that faced by France or the UK.
Meanwhile, Norway already has one of the cleanest, most flexible energy systems in the world, with hydropower covering ~90% of our electricity production. That is not a gap waiting to be filled by nuclear. That is a platform for rapid, cost-effective expansion of offshore wind, smart grid investment, and deeper European energy integration.
At Volt Norge, we believe in evidence-based policy. And the evidence, both from this commission and from across the continent, points clearly in one direction. Let's invest where Norway has genuine competitive strength, where timelines are realistic, and where the costs don't spiral out of control before a single kilowatt-hour is produced.
We hope that the current government will take the commission's conclusions seriously, independent expert commissions exist precisely to inform political decisions. Ignoring their findings would be a disservice to Norwegian energy policy and to the public interest.
Science first. Europe together. That's the Volt way.
Read the commissions report here (in norwegian): https://lnkd.in/emADBh_D