Four potential locations across Estonia, which could accommodate a nuclear power plant, have been identified by a finance ministry analysis.
The four locations are at Toila, Ida-Viru County, Kunda, Lääne-Viru County, Loksa, Harju County and Varbla, Pärnu County.
Kaia Sarnet, head of the Ministry’s spatial analysis working party, told a press conference that detailed analysis will follow once the state has taken a decision on NPP construction. She added that much would depend on the technological choice of plant. This would dictate the site based on how much land is needed, and the extent of the socio-economic impact.
The analysis was in effect a feasibility study on whether a nuclear plant would be viable anywhere in Estonia, with the conclusion being that it would. The analysis was conducted by infrastructure consultancy firm Skepast & Puhkim, whose representative, Triin Lepland, told the same press conference that the process of selecting a final site for any potential NPP would take place in stages.
Criteria were, among other things, nature conservation and heritage conservation areas, distance from the state border and airports, as well as the requirement for large volumes of water. All the identified potential zones were in coastal areas or near inland water resources. The Pakri peninsula, near Paldiski, was excluded for national security reasons.
A spokesperson from the Environment Ministry, Reelika Runnel, said that given Estonia's size, a small modular reactor (SMR) of up to 300MWe capacity was being considered. She said SMRs would plug into the electricity grid in Estonia easily, and noted that more than 80 different types of SMR are under development worldwide, principally in China and Russia.
Six types of reactor – four water-cooled, one gas-cooled and one molten salt – were looked at in the analysis as well as both open and closed cooling systems. The analysis noted that the International
Atomic Energy Agency recommends that a standard type of SMR is built, in a country with no past history of nuclear power such as Estonia. [However, a small military training reactor operated at the Paldiski naval base during the Soviet era].
Other considerations include energy security and the need to diversify fuel suppliers rather than depending on a single provider. Uranium, the main input fuel used in nuclear energy, is mined in Kazakhstan, Canada, Australia, Namibia, Niger, and Russia. The analysis also covered the safe disposal of radioactive waste.
Future developments of the potential project will proceed in stages, First, a decision is required on whether or not to build a nuclear power station in Estonia. This will be followed by the choice of technology, and then other options. The NPP working group's final report should be complete by the end of the year. A recent, government-commissioned survey found that 75% of just over 1,500 respondents favoured a nuclear power plant in Estonia.
Image: The locations in Estonia of the four sites revealed in the nuclear power plant spatial analysis. The blue areas are alternative zones for an SMR, while the pink colouring includes Peipsi järv and areas within Estonia's maritime borders (courtesy of Ministry of Finance)
