The company said the application represents the culmination of six years of thorough planning, involving 71 comprehensive studies, collaboration with 32 partners and total investment of EUR1.4 million (USD1.4 million) in research and analysis. Over the same period, it has conducted more than 50 information sessions across the Virumaa region of northeastern Estonia, engaging more than 500 residents. These sessions spanned 15 localities, including Aa, Aseri, Kiviõli and Kohtla-Järve.
The municipal councils of Viru-Nigula and Lüganuse have formally agreed to participate in the spatial planning process, with decisions made in September 2023 and March 2024, respectively.
During the initial site pre-selection phase (to be conducted between 2025 and 2027) a comprehensive evaluation of potential locations will be carried out, with a focus on areas near Kunda in Viru-Nigula County and Aa village in Lüganuse County.
During the site confirmation phase (2027-2029), detailed site-specific studies will be conducted, with an assessment of technical compatibility and an analysis of location-based parameters.
Fermi Energia expects to submit a construction permit application for the proposed plant in 2029, with construction targeted to begin in 2031. The first of two small modular reactors (SMRs) is set to be operational by the second half of 2035.
"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."
Fermi Energia was founded by Estonian energy and nuclear energy professionals to develop deployment of SMRs in Estonia. In July 2019, the company launched a feasibility study on the suitability of SMRs for Estonia's electricity supply and climate goals beyond 2030, following a financing round from investors and shareholders.
In February 2023, the company selected GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy's BWRX-300 SMR for potential deployment by the early 2030s. GEH's BWRX-300 design is a 300 MWe water-cooled, natural circulation SMR with passive safety systems that leverages the design and licensing basis of GEH's ESBWR boiling water reactor.
The Estonian parliament - the Riigikogu - passed a resolution in June last year supporting the adoption of nuclear energy in the country, paving the way for the creation of the necessary legal and regulatory framework. The parliament based its decision on analysis conducted by the Nuclear Energy Working Group, which concluded that the adoption of nuclear energy in Estonia was feasible.
Estonia's current domestic electricity generation is dominated by fossil fuels, but the country is seeking to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 and is looking at nuclear power as a reliable and low carbon option to diversify its energy mix by 2035 when it plans to phase out its use of domestic oil shale.
