The Ministry of Climate submitted the TEOS draft for approval in December last year, and a total of nearly 400 proposals were received, of which approximately 80 percent were taken into account.
“In addition to today’s oil shale-based solutions, the Estonian electricity system needs other controllable capacities, one option of which could be a nuclear power plant after 2035. This is one way to ensure security of supply in the event that there is no wind or sun at the moment. We are moving towards nuclear energy step by step and will first create strong rules and supervision in order to accept nuclear energy responsibly and thoughtfully,” says Andres Sutt, Minister of Energy and the Environment.
Estonia has not yet had a law regulating the use of nuclear energy and the safety and supervision of related activities. The legal framework, in particular the Radiation Act, is sufficient to regulate all existing activities, but does not cover activities related to the construction and operation of nuclear power plants. The new law introduces the requirements arising from the safety standards of the European Union and the International Atomic Energy Agency into Estonian law and fills the gaps in the current law.
According to the TEOS, the Consumer Protection and Technical Supervision Authority will become an independent nuclear regulator responsible for licensing and supervision of nuclear safety and security. The law places restrictions on the choice of technology, allowing only solutions that have already been proven in practice to be used. The law also stipulates the stages of the nuclear facility licensing procedure – from the preliminary assessment and construction permit to testing, operation and decommissioning of the plant, where safety and security aspects are thoroughly assessed at each stage.
The bill also establishes the principle that the developer and operator of a nuclear power plant bears full responsibility for the safety of the facility and the costs incurred at the end of its life cycle. A national decommissioning fund will be established, where the plant operator will collect money during the plant's operating hours into a state-managed fund for the dismantling of the plant and the final disposal of waste.
Among other things, the law provides for a local benefit system, where the developer and operator of a nuclear power plant pays a fee to the local government at various stages, including during the construction of the plant, part of which will be directed directly to the residents of the area surrounding the plant.
The adoption of the Nuclear Energy and Safety Act creates a legal basis for the work of the national nuclear regulator, allows for the start of formal licensing procedures, and provides developers and the state with a clear basis for making further investment decisions. If the Riigikogu adopts the bill, the law is scheduled to enter into force on 1 January 2027.a
The construction of a nuclear power plant is a long process, and the completion of a potential plant and the start of electricity production would not occur until the mid-2030s at the earliest. The law does not set the state the task of building a nuclear power plant, but TEOS creates readiness for its construction.
