Norwegian nuclear start-up Norsk Kjernekraft has submitted a proposal to the country’s Ministry of Oil & Energy to build a power plant made up of small modular reactors (SMRs).

It wants to build the plant at an industrial estate near the border between the Aure and Heim municipalities, about 400km northwest from Oslo.

The plant would produce around 12.5TWh of electricity a year, roughly 8% of the country’s present installed capacity.

Norsk Kjernekraft says Aure and Heim councils have found a suitable site.

The company said it would involve the local population in any such scheme.

Norsk Kjernekraft chief executive Jonny Hesthammer said that if everything went smoothly, “we can have nuclear power in place already in 10 years, depending on how quickly the authorities process the application”.

He added: “Half of Norway’s total energy consumption is still fossil fuels. The power plant will thus contribute to significant electrification and emission reductions. With good maintenance, the plant can last up to a hundred years. It will therefore be able to deliver cheap electricity to the inhabitants for many decades after it has been paid off.”