Vattenfall AB, Europe's fifth-largest electricity producer and the largest producer of thermal energy, has announced a cooperation agreement with Fermi Ener OÜ to explore the construction of a small modular reactor in Estonia.
"This [study] will help us see how far we have come in developing small modular reactors. Estonia's electricity generation is largely based on oil shale, which is the most carbon-intensive raw material of all. Restructuring Estonian electricity production would be an important climate measure for the whole of the European Union," said Torbjörn Wahlborg, head of Vattenfall's power generation business.
"Vattenfall's contribution to the Fermi Energia study, as Europe's fifth largest electricity producer, gives confidence that Estonia will make a very informed decision to build a nuclear power plant in the future. The ongoing feasibility study is a result of the cooperation between major Nordic nuclear companies and Estonian experts," added Kalev Kallemets, CEO of Fermi Energia.
In January this year, Fermi Energia unveiled the first part of a feasibility study on the suitability of a small modular reactor for securing Estonia's energy supply and meeting climate targets from 2030.
"The study showed that a new generation of small modular reactors would be well suited to the Estonian conditions and would contribute significantly to moving towards fully decarbonised power generation, meeting climate targets and at the same time ensuring security of electricity supply in all weather conditions," Kallemets said.
The 2020 studies with Fortum, Vattenfall, Tractebel and Orano will focus on the small reactor construction licence procedure, the construction time of the small reactor, the suitable location in Estonia and spent fuel management, respectively. The work will be published in January 2021.