Denmark is weighing the possibility of lifting its four-decade-long ban on nuclear energy, as the country explores options to strengthen its electricity grid and guard against future blackouts, the Financial Times reports.
Climate and Energy Minister Lars Aagaard confirmed that the centrist coalition government will conduct a year-long analysis into the feasibility of using small modular reactors (SMRs) as a low-carbon supplement to Denmark’s robust wind energy network. The move marks a significant shift for a country that has long positioned itself as a global leader in renewable energy.
“We observe that there is a development under way with new nuclear power technologies: small modular reactors,” Aagaard told Danish newspaper Politiken. “It is not enough that they have potential. We also need to know what it means for Danish society.”
Denmark’s 1985 ban on nuclear energy came amid widespread European concern following the Three Mile Island nuclear accident in the U.S. six years earlier. Since then, the country has relied heavily on offshore wind, coal, natural gas, and electricity imports via interconnectors with nuclear- and hydro-powered neighbors such as Sweden and Norway.
But concerns about the intermittency of renewables, as highlighted by last month’s power outage affecting Spain and Portugal, have prompted a broader rethink across Europe. Sweden’s government is already reviving nuclear power initiatives, while Finland recently brought its long-delayed Olkiluoto 3 reactor online.
Proponents of nuclear power in Denmark argue that relying solely on renewables is not sufficient. Anders Fogh Rasmussen, former Danish prime minister and ex-NATO secretary general, described the existing ban as “ridiculous.”
“Wind and solar are good as long as you have wind and sunshine. But you have to have a non-fossil base load, and it’s ridiculous to exclude nuclear power in advance,” Rasmussen told the Financial Times. “My guess is that this is a process [from the government] towards lifting the ban.”
SMRs — compact, factory-built nuclear reactors — have gained global traction as a potentially safer, faster-to-deploy alternative to traditional large-scale nuclear plants. Still, most designs remain in early development or pending regulatory approval. Investor interest is rising, though. Last month, Danish billionaire and Unity founder Joachim Ante pledged €50mn of personal funds to 92 Capital, a new €350mn fund aimed at supporting the advanced nuclear sector and its supply chain.
Despite growing interest, Denmark’s nuclear debate is fraught with political and practical challenges. Four rightwing opposition parties have already called for a parliamentary debate with Aagaard on the issue. A key point of contention is the question of where any new reactors would be located, and how to handle radioactive waste.
Denmark operated a single research reactor outside Copenhagen until 2001, and currently stores its nuclear waste on-site. In 2018, the Danish parliament committed to establishing a permanent disposal facility by 2073.
Nuclear power’s track record in Europe remains mixed. Recent megaprojects in France, the UK, and Finland have been plagued by massive cost overruns and delays. Finland’s Olkiluoto 3 reactor, for example, came online 14 years later than planned and at nearly four times its original budget.
Nevertheless, as energy security and climate goals become more pressing, Denmark — like many of its European peers — may find it harder to ignore nuclear’s potential role in a reliable, low-carbon energy future.
