Fermi Energia, which is planning a small modular reactor nuclear power plant in Estonia, has been organising study trips to the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant in Finland for four years, with over 250 people having participated so far. These experience trips are primarily intended for those near whose homes the future nuclear power plant might be built.
In the first days of September, around twenty residents, landowners, and specialists involved in the planning process from the rural municipalities of Viru-Nigula and Lüganuse visited the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant.
According to Diana Revjako, member of the management board of Fermi Energia, the knowledge gained from study trips is irreplaceable. “The activity of people at information sessions and in discussions shows that the community wants to know how a nuclear power plant would fit into the region and what it would bring to local life,” Revjako said. According to her, visits to Olkiluoto are a natural continuation of the dialogue, because people can see with their own eyes how a modern nuclear power plant operates and what life is like next to it.
Over the course of two days, participants visited a nuclear power plant and a final repository for low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste, and gained knowledge about nuclear energy production and waste management in Finland. Thus, the participants gained a good overview of the entire nuclear energy production chain, from uranium mining to the deep geological disposal of waste. The programme also included a presentation by the head of Eurajoki municipality on cooperation with the nuclear power plant operator and why community engagement is important in the area of a nuclear power plant.
According to Tauri Pikka, a resident of Kunda village who took part in the trip, it is important that locals are able and know how to have a say on the nuclear power station issue as early as possible. “If decisions concern our local area, we need to know what is being talked about. What we saw on the spot gave a clearer picture and plenty of food for thought for the future,” Pikka said.
You can find out more about the experiences of people living in the neighbourhood of the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant and local life here: fermi.ee/elu
