Reaching Critical Will

Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)

Conference on Disarmament

General Assembly First Committee

UN Disarmament Commission

Special Session on Disarmament

Model Nuclear Inventory 2007
Norway

Location and capability of nuclear facilities
Fissile material holdings
Nuclear activities
International non-proliferation efforts
Positions taken in international fora on various issues of disarmament

1. Location and Capability of Nuclear Facilities

Norway’s abundant water resources allow the country to generate nearly all of its electricity from hydropower facilities. Thermal and other renewable sources of energy, mainly wind, account for the remainder of total electricity generated. Norway is not a nuclear power state, but keeps a nuclear research program with two reactors. http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/norway.html

Power Reactors- 0

Research Reactors
Operational: 2
Shut down: 0
Decommissioned: 0
Planned: 0
http://www.iaea.or.at/worldatom/rrdb/

2. Fissile Material Holdings

Radioactive waste disposal
Low- and Intermediate-level waste: Himdalen storage facility for low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste has operated since 1998 under the ownership of the Directorate of Public Construction and Property (Statsbygg) and the operation of Institute for Energy Technology (IFE). In December 1999, the Government granted a renewed license for operation of the research reactors Halden and Kjeller. http://www.nea.fr/html/rwm/bulletin/bulletin14.pdf

3. Nuclear Activities

Research Programs
Universities
Bergen University, Department of Physics
Oslo University, Department of Physics
Rogaland University, Stavanger

Nuclear Research Laboratories
Institutt for Energiteknikk, Kjeller
Scandpower A/S, Kjeller
Norwegian Geotechnical Inst., Oslo
OECD Halden Reactor Project
National Inst. of Radiation Hygiene, Oesteraas
IFE - Institute for Energy Technology
http://www.iaea.org/inis/ws/research_institutes/norway.html
http://www.radwaste.org/research.htm

Nuclear Cooperation
Russia: In 1999, the Norwegian Institute for Energy Technology reportedly purchased and imported at least 500 kg of Russian uranium for Norwegian research reactors.
http://www.bellona.no/en/international/russia/nuke_industry/co-operation/24171.html

In May 1998, Norway and Russia signed an agreement to jointly clean up the nuclear storage in Andreeva Bay. Norway will also play a major role in establishing a more permanent solution. Substantial progress has been made with 61 submarines dismantled, including 17 with foreign assistance from the US, Canada, the UK, Japan, Norway. The activities have taken place mainly in the North West of Russia. http://www.thebulletin.org/article.php?art_ofn=ma03reistad

In 2006, there was increasing cooperation from the Nordic Environmental Finance Corporation (NEFCO) and several other countries such as the US and Denmark, who are engaged in securing radiological sources. These countries are supporting dismantling, storing and replacing some 700 highly radioactive radioisotopic thermoelectric generators (RTGs) which have been used to power Russian lighthouses. http://en.g8russia.ru/docs/22.html

4. International Non-proliferation Efforts

Treaties Signed and Ratified, date of deposit
Antarctic Treaty, 24 August 1960
APM Convention, 9 July 1988
Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, 1 August 1973
Certain Conventional Weapons Convention, 7 June 1983
Chemical Weapons Convention, 7 April 1994
Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty, 15 July 1999
Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, 15 August 1985
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, 5 February 1969
Outer Space Treaty, 1 July 1969
Seabed Treaty, 29 June 1971

Norway ratified the IAEA Additional Protocol on 16 May 2000.

Multilateral Groups
Australia Group
Conference on Disarmament
Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation
Missile Technology Control Regime
Nuclear Suppliers Group
Proliferation Security Initiative
Wassenaar Arrangement
Zangger Committee

5. Positions Taken in International Fora on Various Issues of Nuclear Disarmament

NPT:"We have an obligation to maintain the integrity of this carefully crafted multilateral instrument [the NPT], and we reaffirm our commitment to its mutually supportive rights and obligations. Full compliance with all articles of the NPT by all States Parties is crucial. States Parties are at all times accountable for compliance with their Treaty obligations. We call for universalization of the Treaty. We also call on States not party to the NPT to fulfill their responsibilities to the international community in the fields of non-proliferation and disarmament." - Statement by Norway on behalf of the Seven Nation Initiative to the World Summit, 26 July 2005. http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/1com/1com05/sevennation.html

Fissile Material: "Let me also underline that adequate physical protection of nuclear material is of crucial importance. More efforts are needed to convert nuclear research reactors in the civilian sector from being fuelled by HEU to being fuelled by LEU. We cannot allow that civilian HEU falls into the hands of terrorists." - Statement by the Norway delegation to the First Committee on Disarmament and International Security, 10 October 2006. http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/1com/1com06/statements/Norwayoct10.doc

Disarmament and Non-proliferation: "It is conventional wisdom that nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation is interlinked. But sometimes conventional wisdom is correct. It continues to be true that a dismantled and destroyed nuclear weapon cannot be proliferated." - Statement by the Norway delegation to the First Committee on Disarmament and International Security, 10 October 2006. http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/1com/1com06/statements/Norwayoct10.doc