Estonia plans to identify preliminary site for nuclear power plant by spring
Estonia’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications expects to make enough progress in its analysis by spring to identify a preliminary site for a nuclear power plant. Six potential sites are being considered in the Kunda and Lüganuse areas on the coast, ERR News reports.
Selection criteria
Agnes Lihtsa, an adviser in the ministry’s Land and Spatial Policy Department, said the ministry’s table contains 40 criteria for assessing sites, taking into account recommendations from the International Atomic Energy Agency. These include nuclear safety requirements, geological and hydrological conditions, including the availability of water for cooling, potential impacts on natural and environmental sites, and socioeconomic factors.
According to Lihtsa, access to cooling water is a key factor. Estonia has no river with sufficient flow to meet the plant’s needs, so a nuclear power plant can only be located by the sea. A nationwide spatial analysis conducted in 2023 identified the Kunda and Lüganuse–Toila areas as possible locations. Each has three potential sites.
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Infrastructure and residents’ position
The assessment also takes into account the stability of bedrock, proximity to power lines and ports. Potential grid connection points are substations near Rakvere and Püssi. Ports may be needed, in particular, to deliver nuclear fuel or components for the construction of the plant.
Officials seek to select a site with as few residents nearby as possible. In August, the ministry held information meetings in the municipalities covered by the planning process. Local residents expressed concerns about the potential impact of a nuclear power plant on property values, groundwater and their familiar natural environment. The proposals are still being analyzed, and, according to the ministry, the methodology for comparing sites needs to be explained to the public in greater detail.
