Estonia’s Minister of Economy & Industry, Erkki Keldo, said the government has initiated a national designated spatial plan and a strategic environmental impact assessment for a 600 MWe NPP and the infrastructure required for its operation. The size of the planning area is approximately 1,285 square kilometres.
In January, private company Fermi Energia submitted a request to the Ministry of Economic Affairs & Communications to start the procedure for a national designated spatial plan for a NPP. Fermi Energia confirmed that a 600 MW nuclear power plant, which would feature two GE Vernova BWRX-300 small modular reactors (SMRs), would be built as part of Estonia’s commitment to energy security and climate goals.
“The Estonian government’s approval to begin planning for a 600 MWe NPP following Fermi Energia’s proposal using GE Hitachi’s BWRX-300 small modular reactor technology, represents a significant step forward in Estonia’s nuclear energy development,” said Fermi Energia CEO Kalev Kallemets. “While planning and environmental impact assessments have historically been contentious issues in Estonia, Fermi Energia’s extensive community outreach and the trust established with local municipalities – whose councils have already voted to support nuclear plant siting – provides reason for confidence that the planning process will proceed successfully.”
“The initiation of a designated national spatial plan does not mean that the construction of a nuclear power plant will start immediately,” explained Keldo. “By drawing up this plan, we will first analyse under what conditions and exactly where it would be possible to build a nuclear plant in Estonia. With the creation of the national designated spatial plan, we are making the necessary preparations so that if an investor wishes to invest in the construction of a NPP and we decide to build it, the state already has a thoroughly considered and assessed plan in place.”
He added: “If the decision is taken to build a nuclear plant, it will also create new high-wage jobs in the region, which, in turn, will support the demand for local services and thus the development of the local economy.”
The planning area of the national designated special plan covers land in the Viru-Nigula, Haljala, Rakvere, and Vinni rural municipalities; Rakvere city in Lääne-Viru County; Lüganuse rural municipality; Toila rural municipality; Kohtla-Järve city in Ida-Viru county; and the sea area from Kunda Bay to Narva Bay.
The planning area is significantly larger than the area where the plant and its facilities would be built. This will ensure that the best location for a nuclear plant can be thoroughly considered and assessed. Connections to the existing electricity network also need to be planned. “To this end, we will assess all relevant impacts: how the plant would affect the people in the planning area, their homes and living environment; and what the impacts of the plant would be on the natural environment and the economy,” Keldo noted.
The planning process will involve the residents of the planning area, local governments, relevant authorities, and all other interested parties. Several possible locations will be considered in the preliminary selection of the national designated spatial plan. The best location for the plant and the infrastructure needed for its operation will be investigated throughout the planning area. However, a national designated spatial plan will only be established for the area selected for the plant and its facilities. Both Fermi Energia and the National Nuclear Energy Working Group have previously analysed the areas potentially suitable for a nuclear power plant.
At the request of the spatial analysis sub-working group of the National Nuclear Energy Working Group, an analysis was carried out in 2022 and 2023 to determine whether there are potential areas on Estonian territory where a nuclear plant and a radioactive waste disposal site could be built. The analysis was based on International Atomic Energy (IAEA) guidelines, objective criteria, and available data.
The methodology was based on 60 criteria divided into 11 domains: hydrography and bathymetry; demographics and settlements; anthropogenic hazards; geotechnics; geology; environmental hazards; heritage protection; environmental protection; infrastructure; land use; nuclear safety; and requirements for nuclear plant. There were both exclusion criteria and criteria for further consideration in all areas.
As a result, 16 potential areas were identified within Estonia, one of which was excluded for national defence reasons. The socio-economic analysis carried out for the 15 regions found that the potential areas of Toila, Kunda, Loksa, and Varbla are likely to show the strongest regional positive impacts. Fermi Energia also analysed these potential areas in terms of project feasibility and cost-effectiveness, and, in turn, excluded some of them.
Fermi Energia conducted more than 50 public meetings across the region since 2019 engaging residents from the 15 areas and formal participation agreements were reached with municipal councils from Viru-Nigula and Lüganuse. According to Fermi Energia, the planning process is structured into three phases. A site pre-selection phase will focus on areas near Kunda in Viru-Nigula County, and the village of Aa in Lüganuse County between now and 2027. This phase “will evaluate each location’s strategic access to existing infrastructure, alongside the environmental impact assessment, to identify the most viable and sustainable options for development”.
The process in 2027 will advance to detailed site confirmation. This phase will include in-depth studies covering geology, hydrology, environmental monitoring, and grid connectivity. Those studies will be conducted to ensure the selected site meets the stringent safety and performance standards required for deploying the BWRX-300 reactor, Fermi Energia said.
Submission of the construction permit application for the project is planned for 2029. Fermi Energia in April signed a teaming agreement with Samsung C&T, which is being considered as a prospective engineering, procurement, and construction contractor for the project.
The national designated spatial plan will provide a comprehensive and detailed spatial layout of the proposed NPP and its infrastructure in the best possible location, develop the necessary construction conditions, and resolve other issues related to construction. An overhead 330 kV power line, an extension of the existing 330 kV substation, and other electricity transmission facilities are expected to be planned alongside the plant. The first reactor of the planned two units could, according to the application, start operating in 2035 at the earliest.
