ENGLISH BELOW
(Laurentis Energy Partners press release can be found here)
Fermi Energia and Laurentis Energy Partners, a Canadian nuclear energy company, signed a cooperation agreement on 12 April in Ottawa to develop a build programme for small reactors in Estonia.
Laurentis Energy Partners, a subsidiary of Ontario Power Generation (OPG), Canada's largest energy company, provides a range of small reactor development services throughout the planning cycle, including feasibility studies, design, construction, commissioning, operation and sustainability.
"Building on our owner's engineering and nuclear experience, Laurentis is pleased to partner with Fermi Energy to give Estonia the confidence to add small reactors to its energy portfolio," said Jason Van Wart, Vice President of Laurentis.
Estonia produces most of its electricity from oil shale or imports from neighbouring countries. Since 2019, Fermi Energia has been exploring the possibility of developing and deploying a small modular reactor in Estonia to ensure a stable, clean and reliable electricity supply in all weather conditions.
"OPG is a world-class nuclear power company and their decision to build the first proprietary GE Hitachi BWRX-300 small reactor in Darlington will make it a world-leading small reactor project," said Kalev Kallemets, CEO of Fermi Energia. The BWRX-300 is Fermi Energy's reference technology.
"Fermi Energia is working closely with Laurentis Energy Partners to develop a deployment programme that will form the basis for the successful licensing and financing of a number of small reactors in Estonia to ensure affordable energy independence and decarbonisation in Estonia and the other Baltic States," Kallemets said. "Nuclear energy is clean and carbon-free and therefore meets the EU's criteria for sustainable financing."
Small reactors are being considered and developed around the world as a cost-effective way to deploy reliable, low-carbon and climate-independent nuclear power.
Small reactors are generally reactors of up to 300 megawatts of electricity, whose components can be manufactured in a factory and therefore require less time to build and less construction materials than large nuclear plants.
From businesses:
Laurentis Energy Partners
Laurentis Energy Partners, a subsidiary of Ontario Power Generation, works with international clients in the energy and health sectors, providing expertise in nuclear materials and facilities inspection and engineering, as well as nuclear materials processing and small modular reactor development. The company is active in several locations in both Canada and Romania, where it supports the Cernavoda nuclear plant.
Fermi Energia
Fermi Energia is an Estonian nuclear energy company that is developing opportunities for the deployment of a new generation of small reactors in Estonia to ensure low-carbon, affordable, climate-independent electricity generation.
Laurentis to collaborate with Fermi Energia on Small Modular Reactor development in Estonia
Ottawa, Ontario - Today, at the Canadian Nuclear Association Conference, Laurentis Energy Partners announced it will work with Estonian energy company Fermi Energia to support their development of small modular reactors (SMRs) in Estonia.
Laurentis, a subsidiary of Ontario Power Generation (OPG), offers services on SMRs throughout the development lifecycle from feasibility and planning through construction, commissioning, operations, and sustainability solutions.
"Building on our owner's engineering and nuclear management experience, Laurentis is pleased to work with Fermi Energia to provide an opportunity for Estonia to confidently introduce SMRs into their energy mix," said Jason Van Wart, Vice President of Laurentis.
Estonia produces most of its energy from oil shale or imported power from neighbouring countries. Since 2019, Fermi Energia has been exploring the possibility of developing and deploying a small modular reactor in Estonia to ensure a stable, clean, and reliable domestic electricity supply.
"OPG's excellence as a nuclear energy utility and their selection of GE Hitachi's BWRX-300 to be deployed at Darlington is a world-leading SMR project," said Kalev Kallemets, CEO of Fermi.
"Through this agreement, Fermi Energia will cooperate closely with Laurentis Energy Partners to develop an efficient and reliable SMR deployment program that will lead to successful licensing and financing of multiple SMR units in Estonia, to ensure affordable energy independence and decarbonisation leadership of our region," Kallemets said. "Nuclear energy is clean and carbon-free, which is why the European Union has concluded it meets criteria for sustainable financing."
SMRs are being explored worldwide as a cost-effective way to add nuclear energy to a region's energy source - as a reliable, non-intermittent and low-carbon source of electricity generation, useful in the fight against climate change.
"Small" generally means 300 megawatts or less, while "modular" means reactor components could be manufactured in a factory and shipped to sites for installation, for economies of scale in construction.
About Laurentis Energy Partners:
Laurentis Energy Partners, a subsidiary of Ontario Power Generation, provides solutions for customers across energy markets and in health care around the world, offering expertise in inspections, refurbishment and engineering, nuclear materials sorting and recycling, the production of medical isotopes, and the advancement of small modular reactors. Laurentis has offices in the Greater Toronto Area, Hamilton and Bruce County in Ontario, Saint John in New Brunswick, and Bucharest and Cernavoda in Romania.
About Fermi Energy:
Fermi Energia is an Estonian energy company that focuses on the development and deployment of Small Modular Reactors (SMR). The company's goal is to provide an opportunity to reach carbon neutrality with reliability and affordability to Baltic consumers.