Estonia - World Nuclear Outlook Report

Projection of future nuclear capacity in Estonia in 2050

Estonia has relied heavily on oil shale for its electricity production. Eesti Energia, owner of the world's two largest oil shale-fired power plants (Balti, 765 MWe, and Eesti, 1615 MWe), both in Narva in the east of Estonia, plans to end the production of electricity from oil shale by 2030.

In its draft update of Estonia's National Energy and Climate Plan for 2030 (approved in August 2023), the government had set a target of covering 100% of electricity consumption with renewable energy.

In June 2024, the Estonian parliament passed a resolution supporting the adoption of nuclear energy in the country. Estonia is one of the 16 nations that have joined the Nuclear Alliance within the EU to promote the use of nuclear energy.

In late 2020 the government convened the Nuclear Energy Working Group (NEWG) to consider the options for the development of nuclear power in Estonia. The final report of the NEWG issued at the end of 2023 stated that SMRs would be suitable for the country. A sub-working group of the NEWG proposed 16 possible coastal locations for nuclear power plants.²⁰¹

New capacity

Small-scale reactors

Estonia's Fermi Energia has selected GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy's BWRX-300 small modular reactor for a 600 MWe nuclear power plant with two units (2x300 MWe) to be built by the mid-2030s.²⁰² Fermi Energia has completed geological studies in the Viru-Nigula municipality of northeastern Estonia to assess the suitability of the area for the construction of an SMR plant, the company is also considering a site in the neighbouring Lüganuse municipality.