THORIUM AS AN ENERGY SOURCE - Opportunities for Norway ...

Regulation
• The Agreement between Norway and the Agency for the Application of Safeguards in
connection with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (1 March 1972), and
• Protocol additional to the Agreement between the Kingdom of Norway and the International
Atomic Energy Agency for the Application of Safeguards in connection with the Treaty on the
Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (29 September 1999).
Section 51, Control of the peaceful utilisation of nuclear energy from the Act of Nuclear Energy
Power Activities, is detailed in Appendix D1.
8.9 Conclusions
To conclude, activities related to Norwegian thorium-based nuclear energy will inter alia be
regulated by the following legislation: the Planning and Building Act, the Act Concerning Nuclear
Energy Activities, the Radiation Protection Act, the Energy Act and the Pollution Control Act, all
with regulations. In addition, mining and milling of thorium will have to be considered under the
Act Relating to Mining and the Industrial Licensing Act. The import of thorium to Norway and
the export of thorium from Norway are regulated by Regulations on Possession, Transfer and
Transportation of Nuclear Material and Dual-use Equipment. The main rule is that import or
export of thorium requires an authorization.
However, there are needs for amendments or more detailed legislation with regard to nuclear
energy based on thorium. A conventional thorium-based nuclear installation will most probably
be covered by the current licensing requirement laid down in the Act Concerning Nuclear Energy
Activities, whereas a thorium-based Accelerator Driven System (ADS) will not. Consequently, the
definitions of the Act Concerning Nuclear Energy Activities will have to be amended in order to
cover any form of thorium-based nuclear installation. If Norwegian nuclear energy is established,
the whole Act Concerning Nuclear Energy Activities will have to be reviewed and there will be a
need for more detailed regulations on inter alia nuclear security and internal control. Such
regulations might be based on international requirements and recommendations. The Radiation
Protection Act and/or regulations might also be subject to amendment, for example in order to
establish a requirement that mining and milling of thorium is subject to authorization from the
NRPA
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