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Tuesday
18 Nov 2025

Aecon and Norsk Kjernekraft Aim to Develop SMRs in Norway

18 Nov 2025  by world-nuclear-news   
Aecon, the lead contractor for Canada’s first small modular reactor project, has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Norwegian private nuclear developer Norsk Kjernekraft. The partnership centres on the GE Hitachi BWRX-300 small modular reactor design.

The collaboration will develop a detailed plan covering feasibility studies, licensing procedures, stakeholder engagement, and site selection. Norsk Kjernekraft has identified ten potential locations in Norway where preliminary environmental assessments will soon commence.

Jonny Hesthammer, CEO of Norsk Kjernekraft, said: “This agreement represents an important step towards building strong international partnerships that can accelerate the development of SMRs in Norway. Aecon’s experience with Canada’s first BWRX-300 project provides valuable insights as we navigate Norway’s regulatory and policy landscape.”

Aaron Johnson, Senior Vice President, Nuclear, Aecon Group Inc, said: “Partnering with Norsk Kjernekraft marks an exciting step forward ... from advanced manufacturing and automation to lessons learned and best practices, we are proud to bring our nuclear expertise to support the critical steps of this new build programme.”

Norsk Kjernekraft plans to construct, own, and operate small modular reactor power plants in Norway, working closely with energy-intensive industrial partners. The company will prepare licence applications in full compliance with national regulations and international standards, following the International Atomic Energy Agency’s milestone approach while prioritising early-phase value creation. Project financing will involve cooperation with capital-strong industrial companies and established financial institutions.

In May, Aecon Kiewit Nuclear Partners secured the construction contract for the execution phase of Ontario Power Generation’s Darlington New Nuclear Project. The initiative will deploy North America’s first grid-scale BWRX-300 small modular reactor under an Integrated Project Delivery model. Aecon, as lead partner in the joint venture with Kiewit Nuclear Canada, reported its portion of the contract is valued at approximately CAD 1.3 billion.

The agreement between Aecon and Norsk Kjernekraft enables the transfer of practical experience and technical knowledge gained from the Canadian project to support the advancement of small modular reactor deployment in Norway.

Keywords

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