Estonia Choosing Site For Nuclear Power Plant With Ge Hitachi Reactors

Estonia energy company Fermi Energia has begun the site selection process for that country’s first nuclear power plant, more than a decade after government officials initially approved construction of a reactor.

Fermi Energia on Jan. 14 announced the company has submitted an application to the Estonian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications to begin the state spatial planning process for a 600-MW nuclear power plant. The power station, which would feature two GE Hitachi BWRX-300 small modular reactors (SMRs), is part of the European country’s plan to develop more energy infrastructure.

“A state spatial plan is essential for identifying the optimal nuclear power plant location that aligns with both technical requirements and community interests,” said Fermi Energia CEO Kalev Kallemets. “While initiating this planning process doesn’t guarantee construction, it establishes the foundation for future decision-making. Recent trends in electricity consumption underscore Estonia’s need for reliable, controllable energy capacity to ensure system stability and maintain competitive electricity prices in the coming decades.”

Estonia’s government approved an energy development plan in 2009, and officials in 2011 said they wanted a nuclear power plant operating by 2023. The government in 2020 created the Nuclear Energy Program Implementing Organization, NEPIO, a group responsible for assessing the prospects for nuclear power and providing the framework of a nuclear power program by the end of 2023.

This is an artist’s rendering of a proposed 600-MW nuclear power plant that would be built by Fermi Energia in Estonia. Construction of the project is expected to be completed no later than 2035. Source: Fermi Energia

Much of the country’s current power generation comes from burning oil shale and fuel oils. The country is home to the Narva Power Plants, part of a power generation complex in and near Narva, which is near the Russian border. The complex includes the world’s two largest oil shale-fired thermal power plants, Eesti Power Plant (Eesti Elektrijaam) and Balti Power Plant (Balti Elektrijaam).

Fermi Energia on Tuesday said the company has conducted information sessions in at least 15 communities over the past six year to determine the best site for a nuclear power facility. The company said the authorities in the towns of Viru-Nigula and Lüganuse “have formally agreed to participate in the spatial planning process, with decisions made on September 28, 2023, and March 28, 2024, respectively.”

GE Hitachi Energy’s 300-MW BWRX small modular reactor features an innovative and simplified configuration, resulting in less concrete and steel needed for construction. The company has said it can be used for power generation for industrial applications, including hydrogen production, desalination, and district heating. Source: GE Hitachi

Officials said the nuclear power project would have three phases. Site pre-selection will begin this year, continuing to 2027, and include a “comprehensive evaluation of potential locations,” focusing “on areas near Kunda in Viru-Nigula County and Aa village in Lüganuse County,” and considering “population density and environmental preservation.”

Fermi Energia hopes to confirm a site sometime between 2027 and 2029, and submit an application to obtain necessary construction permits in 2029. The current timeline calls for construction to begin in 2031, with the first reactor operational by in the second half of 2035.

The two GE Hitachi BWRX-300 SMRs would be “designed to meet Estonia’s minimum base load electricity requirements,” according to Fermi Energia. The company said the nuclear power generation capacity would support the country’s existing and planned renewable energy resources.

—Darrell Proctor is a senior editor for POWER.