On Tuesday 14 January, Fermi Energia submitted an application to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications for the initiation of a special national planning procedure for a nuclear power plant with an electrical capacity of 600 MW.
"A special national plan is necessary to find the best location for the planned nuclear power plant that will also satisfy local communities and municipalities," said Kalev Kallemets, Chairman of the Board of Fermi Energia. "Initiating the planning process does not mean a definite nuclear power plant, but the creation of a real precondition for a real decision on its construction in the future. The last weeks and the increase in electricity consumption prove that Estonia needs a manageable and stable energy capacity to protect the stability of the energy system and to lower the price of electricity for consumers for decades to come."
In the course of the preparation of the application for a special national plan, Fermi Energia has conducted more than 50 information sessions in West and East-Viru County over the past six years, involving local residents, with more than 500 participants. The information sessions have been held in Aas, Azeri, Kiviõli, Kohtla-Järve, Kohtla-Nõmmel, Kunda, Lüganu, Mahu, Maidla, Moldova, Oandu, Püssi, Rääsa, Sava, Soonurm and Viru-Nigula.
The councils of the municipalities of Viru-Nigula and Lüganuse have adopted decisions on participation in the special planning scheme, on 28 September 2023 and 28 March 2024 respectively.
The aim of the national specific plan is to find the best possible location for the plant, which meets the requirements of safety, environmental impact and technical feasibility. Before a nuclear power plant can be built, a number of important planning stages have to be completed:
- Pre-selection of location: In the first phase, expected to last from 2025 to 2027, appropriate studies and consultations will be carried out to assess potential sites. Based on the preliminary studies carried out by Fermi Energia, the potential areas are in the municipality of Viru-Nigula, near Kunda, in West-Viru County, and in sparsely populated areas in the village of Aa, in the municipality of Lüganuse, in Ida-Viru County. Objects and areas of nature conservation will also be avoided.
- Confirmation of location: In the second phase, between 2027 and 2029, more detailed studies will be carried out at the selected site to confirm the suitability of the selected site and the exact site-specific parameters of the plant.
- Construction of a nuclear power plant: After the end of the planning process, once the Riigikogu has adopted the Nuclear Energy Regulatory Act, the plan is to submit an application for a construction permit to the competent regulator in 2029, in order to start construction of the plant in 2031, if the procedure is positive. This will allow the first reactor to produce electricity by the second half of 2035.
The full text of the planning phases, studies, participation possibilities and the application for the initiation of a special national plan for the location of the nuclear power plant can be found on the Fermi Energia website. fermi.ee/REP.
Six years of in-depth planning and analysis have preceded the application. 71 studies have been carried out in cooperation with 32 partners at a total cost of €1.4 million.
Fermi Energia plans to build a nuclear power plant with two GE Hitachi BWRX-300 small modular reactors to cover the minimum (summer) baseload of today's energy consumption in Estonia. Nuclear energy is not a substitute for, but a support to, renewable energy at a time of low wind and solar generation. However, nuclear energy would partially replace the future oil shale energy leaving the energy system, which today ensures security of supply and energy security when sufficient cheap energy from other sources cannot reach the grid.
GE Hitachi's BWRX-300 construction permit process before the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission is nearing completion, culminating in the official start of construction in Darlington in the coming weeks.