The Danish government announced this week it is launching a study into new nuclear power technologies, after calls from the country’s main political parties to reexamine its viability as a future energy source. Nuclear power has been banned in Denmark since 1985.
The study will examine the potential and risks of a new generation of nuclear reactors. It is expected to take a year to complete the project.
The decision represents a dramatic reversal of 40 years of government policy, following parliament’s 1985 resolution to ban any future nuclear power production and use in Denmark. Subsequent laws were introduced outlawing not only the connection of energy from nuclear power to the Danish electricity grid but also the inclusion of nuclear in future energy planning in Denmark.
The government’s U-turn follows increasing calls by Denmark’s major political parties to reconsider the 1985 decision. In the past few weeks, leading party Socialdemokratiet (Social Democrats), Moderaterne (Social Liberals), Venstre (Liberals), Liberal Alliance (Liberal Conservatives) and Konservative (Conservatives) have all spoken out in favour of reexamining nuclear power as a future energy source with a view to lifting the ban.
Enhedslisten (Red-Green Alliance) oppose lifting the ban, voicing concerns about radioactive waste, funding priorities and a nuclear lobby gaining ground in the debate.
“It’s important that we start analysing the potential.”
Speaking in parliament this week, Climate, Energy and Utilities Minister Lars Aagaard said: “Denmark has no recent experience with nuclear power, which is why it is important that we start analysing the potential. We all know that of course we can’t have an electricity system based on solar and wind alone. There has to be something else to support it.”
Shortly before the government’s announcement, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told the press that Denmark should look on nuclear power with “open eyes” and that it was “better that we have nuclear power in Europe than being dependent on Russian gas.”
Last month, a massive power outage triggered a national emergency across Spain, Portugal and parts of France, another factor that may have influenced the Danish government’s decision to ex
Image Credit: Nuclear Engineering International
plore alternative future energy solutions.
“New, promising technologies” the main driver behind the U-turn
Speaking to Last Week in Denmark, Venstre’s energy spokesperson Christian Friis Bach, said that “new, promising technologies” in the form of small nuclear reactors are the “main driver” for revisiting the 1985 ban. While previous arguments against nuclear power centred on the dangers to public health and the environment from plant meltdowns and radioactive waste, Friis Bach told us the new reactors are “much safer and can be mass produced. Some can even utilise nuclear waste from old power plants into fuel.” Other reactors use thorium, which is more readily available and accessible than uranium. This would mean Denmark would not be “dependent on Russia or other countries in the Middle East,” where supplies of uranium have traditionally come from, Friis Bach said.
Friis Bach emphasised that Denmark is only at the start of a long journey in revisiting the possibilities of nuclear power: “This is a new technology and we need more knowledge to make sure we are ready to remove the ban. My understanding is that these small modular reactions could be ready ten years from now. I think that’s an optimistic scenario. We are not in a rush to remove the ban – it’s not a technology available tomorrow. But as a party [Venstre] would like to remove the ban as soon as we can if we can get a significant knowledge base with which to take that decision.”
Last Week in Denmark approached the other political parties mentioned above for comment.
Denmark’s turbulent historical relationship with nuclear power
Why was the 1985 ban introduced in the first place and why are the major parties now arguing for its reversal? Last Week in Denmark has taken a look at the long and turbulent history of Denmark’s relationship with nuclear power.
The 1950s: The rise of nuclear
In the post-WW2 years there was worldwide interest in the potential of nuclear power. Denmark took a more cautious approach to this than many nations. It was not until the 1950s that the Danish government started to fund nuclear research. In 1955, the Danish Atomic Energy Commission was established, chaired by Denmark’s most prominent scientist Niels Bohr. The Commission established nuclear research facilities, named Risø National Laboratory, which opened in Roskilde, just outside Copenhagen, in 1958. Research at Risø focused on the peaceful use of nuclear energy: to explore and develop its potential for use in power production.
However, Risø ultimately failed to convince the Danish power utilities to support nuclear energy. As a result, nuclear power was never actually produced at the laboratory.
The 1970s: “Nuclear power – Nej tak/No thanks”
The 1970s saw an increase in anti-nuclear movements around the world, amid concerns about associated dangers to local populations and the environment. The Danish Organisation for Nuclear Information (OOA) was founded in Copenhagen in 1974. The OOA campaigned against the construction of nuclear power facilities in Denmark. Instead, it advocated for increased use of coal, natural gas, and biogas, along with energy-saving measures and a greater focus on the development of wind and solar technology.
The OOA gained significant national support amongst politicians and the general public. The OOA later achieved worldwide recognition when their slogan “Atomkraft? Nej Tak” and distinctive yellow sun artwork designed by OOA Aarhus member Anne Lund became the global symbol of the anti-nuclear movement.
When the Barsebäck Nuclear Power Plant opened in Sweden, just 20km from Copenhagen, the OOA organised demonstrations in front of the Swedish Embassy and produced scientific publications on the potential dangers of the plant. Their efforts strengthened public support of the anti-nuclear movement. In 1976 approximately 10,000 people took part in a demonstration against the plant, while a second march the following year attracted double that number.
At the same time, a lack of support from the majority of Danish voters led the government to halt any rollout of a nuclear power program until a clear plan for the disposal of nuclear waste could be made. 1979 became a crisis point for the future of research into nuclear energy. Global concerns about the dangers of nuclear power intensified after the Three Mile Island incident in Pennsylvania in the US, in which a radioactive leak was linked to multiple instances of cancer and infant mortality in the local population. In the same year, a serious fire caused by the breakdown of a generator at the Barsebäck plant in Sweden strengthened concerns in Denmark about the safety and viability of nuclear energy. The OOA collected more than 300,000 signatures in an open letter to the Prime Minister arguing for a ban on nuclear power in Denmark.
The 1980s: Denmark bans nuclear power; Chernobyl disaster
In 1985, the Danish parliament adopted a resolution to ban nuclear power production, meaning electricity could not be generated from any nuclear reactors. Plans for the fifteen potential sites identified for nuclear power plants across Denmark were scrapped. The Risø laboratory shifted its research towards other energy sources, including wind energy and solid-oxide fuel cells, eventually becoming noted in the 2000s for its work in these fields.
The following year, an explosion at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine killed dozens of workers and injured hundreds more, contaminating an area of more than 100,000 square kilometres with radioactive material. Chernobyl remains the worst nuclear disaster in world history, its effects on the local population continuing to be felt decades later. Thousands of cases of childhood cancer have been linked to the disaster, while a World Health Organisation study projected 9000 cancer-related deaths in Ukraine and surrounding countries as a result of the explosion. The disaster heightened anti-nuclear sentiments around the globe.
The 1990s and 2000s: Dissolving and decommissioning of nuclear
In 2000, the last nuclear facility at Risø National Laboratory was taken out of operation. In 2003 the government passed a resolution to decommission the nuclear research facilities at Risø by 2023 and to commission a technical study of a radioactive waste repository. The decommissioning process at Risø is ongoing.
Barsebäck nuclear plant in Sweden closed in 2005; the decommissioning process continues.
In 2011 the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan, which killed 16 workers and caused widespread, long-term contamination and potential health risks, sparked new anti-nuclear protests worldwide. The clean-up, involving tens of thousands of workers, is expected to continue for a further 30-40 years.
The late 2010s and 2020s: Resurgence of interest in nuclear power
The drive to revisit nuclear power in Denmark began as far back as 2019 and the United Nations Climate Change Conference. The state of the climate showed a need for energy sources which produced fewer greenhouse gasses.
In 2021, Denmark was one of five EU member countries that jointly urged the European Commission to keep nuclear power out of the EU’s green finance taxonomy. The others were Germany, Austria, Portugal and Luxembourg.
In the past three years, there has been a significant turn in Denmark’s nuclear policy. In March 2024 the Minister of Climate, Energy and Utilities, Lars Aagaard, announced that test reactors could be built in Denmark, as long as they did not produce electricity. The Technical University of Denmark, which now owns the former Risø National Laboratory, reestablished formal research into nuclear power in 2024, opening a new research facility in January 2024.
DTU President Anders Bjarklev said at the time: “The climate crisis has reached an extent that makes it crucial that we research all technologies that may be relevant in phasing out fossil energy sources. Regardless of whether nuclear power has a future in Denmark, [DTU has] an obligation to contribute research-based knowledge to society and our students.”
2025: Nuclear ban lifted amid new support?
The government’s announcement this week that it will begin looking into the positives and risk factors of nuclear power is the clearest indication yet that the 1985 ban could soon be lifted. New technologies and measures to protect against the dangers of nuclear power have, politicians argue, neces
Image Credit: OOA Denmark
sitated revisiting the ban. Global instabilities including the Trump regime in the US and the recent national emergency caused by power outage in Spain and Portugal are other factors likely to be behind the government’s decision.
Whilst there is more support for nuclear power in Denmark now than when the ban was first introduced, a significant minority of Danes still have concerns. A recent Voxmeter survey for Ritzau showed 40.7% of Danes support introducing it, while 25.8% oppose it. However, 48.3% still prefer focusing on wind and solar energy. Concerns about nuclear risks, highlighted by the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, still persist among 42.4% of respondents.
The Technical University of Denmark (DTU) has backed the move to revisit the ban, arguing that it blocks meaningful research and investment.
What next?
The government has indicated that the study into whether the ban should be lifted will take around a year to report its findings.
Meanwhile, Christian Friis Bach of Venstre believes the next generation of small nuclear reactors that could be used to produce nuclear energy in Denmark are unlikely to be ready before 2035.
Nuclear power in Denmark: timeline of key events
1955 Atomic Energy Commission established in Denmark, chaired by Niels Bohr
1958 Risø National Laboratory, Denmark’s nuclear research facility, opens
1974 Organisation for Nuclear Information (OOA) founded in Copenhagen.
1976 OOA leads large-scale demonstrations against nuclear at Barsebäck plant
The Danish government halts plans for further nuclear development
1979 Three Mile Island incident, US. OOA collects 300,000 signatures petitioning
the government to ban nuclear power
1985 The government passes a resolution banning nuclear power production and
outlaws the inclusion of nuclear power in future energy plans for Denmark
1986 Explosion at Chernobyl power plant in Ukraine is the worst nuclear disaster in
history
2000 The last nuclear facility at Risø National Laboratory closed
2003 The government votes to decommission Risø by 2023
2011 Fukushima nuclear plant disaster, Japan
2024 DTU reestablishes research into nuclear power following renewed global
Interest
2025 The government announces a new study into the viability of the next
generation of nuclear reactors, following calls by the major parties to lift the
1985 ban
Nuclear power: why is it so controversial?
The new, fourth generation of small nuclear reactors that the Danish government intends to explore are argued to be far safer and environmentally sound than traditional nuclear technology. But what are the concerns that have long troubled anti-nuclear protestors about its use?
- Operational safety (for example, meltdown). The Chernobyl and Fukushima disasters have cast a long shadow over nuclear power in the eyes of many. Both Ukraine and Japan are still dealing with the impact of the disasters on the local population and the environment and will be for many years.
- High levels of radioactive waste. Arguably the biggest concern about the use of nuclear energy. Disposal of radioactive waste is costly, complicated and can take tens of thousands of years and more before the waste is “spent”. The new generation of reactors can be powered by this spent fuel, alleviating some of the concern around this.
- Uranium mining. Traditional nuclear reactors use high levels of uranium. Mining for uranium is highly damaging to the environment and the process of mining itself generates radioactive waste. It also uses high levels of fossil fuels which cause climate damage.
- Availability of fuel. Uranium mining is a complex and damaging process. Traditionally, it has been imported from Eastern European powers, particularly Russia, for use in the West. There are significant concerns amongst anti-nuclear protestors about countries being dependent on volatile world powers for nuclear energy.
- Proliferation of fissile material. Anti-nuclear protestors argue that the availability of nuclear material significantly increases the risk of nuclear attacks around the world.
Nuclear power: the European picture
Across Europe, the nuclear picture is markedly different. Here is a brief guide to which countries have said no to nuclear and which have said yes.
Nej tak
Germany
Nuclear power was fully phased out in 2023. The decision was taken following the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011 and subsequent protests. However, there have been many critics of the government’s decision, pointing out the very high cost of decommissioning the country’s 17 nuclear power plants.
Spain
Spain announced in 2023 that it would phase out nuclear energy. The country has five operational nuclear plants, which are responsible for 20% of the country’s electricity. The first of these will be decommissioned starting in 2027.
Italy
Italy closed all its nuclear power plants in 1990. Like Germany and Lithuania, it completely phased out nuclear power in 2023. The three countries are the only ones to have done so, having previously had operational reactors.
An attempt to reverse this decision was halted after the Fukushima disaster in 2011 and plans for new reactors were cancelled. 94% of voters backed this decision.
Norway
Norway has never had a nuclear power plant though it has previously had four research reactors and its laws allow for the production of nuclear energy. The country’s last remaining nuclear reactor ceased operation in 2019. There are no plans to invest further in nuclear research.
Ja tak
France
Of the major European powers, France relies most heavily on nuclear power to source its electricity. Roughly two thirds of its supply is generated by nuclear reactors.
Poland
Poland is moving towards nuclear power, with the construction of its first nuclear plant to start in 2026. It is planned to open in 2040. Poland also plans to build small modular reactors like those Denmark is looking into. Its decision was driven by climate change, economic and environmental factors. At present the country’s energy is almost entirely derived from burning coal and lignite.
Sweden
Sweden has three operational nuclear power plants, producing around 30% of the country’s electricity. It has reversed its previous decision to phase out nuclear power by 2010, instead electing to replace existing reactors.
In 2024 the country adopted a new nuclear policy setting targets for an increase in nuclear generated electricity, permitting the development of new plants and encouraging the private sector to invest in the sector.
