According to major media reports, the government will propose the purchase in the revised national budget. Norwegian Nuclear Decommissioning (NND) has negotiated the purchase since autumn 2025 and is now taking control of the ground where the Halden reactor stands. The purchase will give NND more space for the cleanup, as there has not been space for the work until now.
The buildings on the property will function as interim storage for radioactive waste until a permanent repository is ready. According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries, this means the cleanup can be done faster and cheaper, and the state avoids building new facilities elsewhere. Communications director at NND, Martin Andreasson, stated, 'We need space for a safe storage for nuclear waste, including spent fuel.
We need space for a safe storage for nuclear waste, including spent fuel. In addition, the safety around the facility requires a larger area.
' The purchase also affects Norske Skog Saugbrugs, as it includes a building housing two paper machines. ' The exact timeline for demolition and the permanent repository is not yet specified.
This is an important milestone for the government in our work with decommissioning the former nuclear activity in Norway.