Kalev Kallemets, Chairman of the Board of Fermi Energia, the Estonian nuclear power project promoter, met with Ron C. Kallemets, President of the Nuclear Energy Industry Association of Canada. Oberth. Together, they discussed opportunities for cooperation between Estonia and Canada in the field of nuclear energy and exchanged experiences.
Canada is one of the world's leading nuclear energy exporters. More than thirty CANDU reactors of the type they have developed have already been built - in addition to Canada in South Korea, China, Argentina, India and Romania. The development of a new generation of modular reactors, which could also be a viable solution for Estonia, is also a focus, which is why meetings with Canadian industry, officials and scientists are important.
"We have turned our attention to Western manufacturers to find a suitable type of modular reactor, as their technological level is very high and, for security reasons, probably the most suitable for Estonian conditions," said Kalev Kallemets, Chairman of the Management Board of Fermi Energia. "There is a lot of activity in Canada in the development of small modular reactors, and the target is to export these reactors to Europe, so the emergence of strong market demand resulting from Europe's climate neutrality objective was important information for Ron Obreth."
Ron Oberth also noted at the meeting that it is Canada's policy to close all coal-fired power plants by 2030, which implies the need to replace them with carbon-free electricity generation, including nuclear power. The most active in Canada is the small province of New Brunswick, which already has one nuclear power plant, but wants to build a new generation of small modular reactors to export electricity to neighbouring provinces and the United States.
The Canadian Nuclear Industry Association brings together 242 companies involved in the construction of nuclear power plants, the manufacture of components, software, special equipment, and the extraction and production of nuclear fuel.
Fermi Energia's goal is to bring Estonia's energy production into the 21st century by developing a modern, small nuclear power plant that will ensure Estonia's security of electricity supply in all weather conditions, affordable prices for electricity consumers, and meet the country's climate targets.
Fermi Energia's majority shareholders are Kalev Kallemets, former deputy director of the Estonian Geological Survey, with a 40 percent stake, Sandor Liive, former head of Eesti Energia, with 26 percent, and Henri Ormus, a graduate of the Swedish Royal Institute of Technology's nuclear energy programme, with 20 percent. The ownership circle also includes Mati Yeltsov, Kaspar Kööp and Mait Müntel.