The draft calls for the ‘Riigikogu’ to pass a “fundamental decision” to allow production of nuclear energy in Estonia. Credit: M-Production via Shutterstock.

Members of Estonia’s parliament, known as the ‘Riigikogu’, have begun drafting a resolution that will enable the development of a nuclear power industry in the country.

According to World Nuclear News, the Riigikogu said the draft is mainly based on an analysis conducted by the Nuclear Energy Working Group in 2021–23, which concluded that the adoption of nuclear energy in Estonia was feasible. The findings of the study were submitted to the Estonian Government in March.

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The draft calls for the Riigikogu to pass a “fundamental decision” to allow production of nuclear energy in Estonia. The 55 members of the Riigikogu “support the preparations for the adoption of nuclear energy and the creation of a necessary legislative framework for it”, including the drafting of the Nuclear Energy and Safety Act, the establishment of a nuclear regulatory institution and the development of “sectoral competences”.

According to the draft’s explanatory memorandum, the adoption of nuclear power would provide a “controllable and continuous generation capacity” to balance fluctuations in renewable energy generation, help Estonia reach its climate neutrality target, ensure “stable and affordable electricity” in the long term, promote research and development, bring economic benefits and create jobs for local communities.

Last October, an International Atomic Energy Agency team reviewed the country’s infrastructure development plan for a nuclear power programme. The Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review was carried out at the request of the Government of Estonia.

In February 2023, Estonia’s Fermi Energia announced it had selected GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy’s BWRX-300 SMR (small modular reactor) for potential deployment in the Baltic country by the early 2030s.

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Fossil fuels currently dominate Estonia’s energy mix, but the country aims to implement nuclear to help it reach net zero by 2050.