It was passed by the Estonian parliament - the Riigikogu - by 63 votes to 10. The act was amended during its legislative journey, to add the requirement for the parliament to give its approval when a decision on constructing a nuclear power plant is made.
The parliament's Economic Affairs Committee said of the Act: "The function of the national nuclear regulator, along with all the rights and obligations associated with that role, will be established under the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority. Among other things, the Act establishes a phased licensing system for the construction of a plant, consisting of a preliminary assessment, a construction licence, a testing licence, an operating licence, and a decommissioning licence. According to the Act, the nuclear regulator will begin operations on 1 January 2027.
"The Act also establishes the principle that the developer and operator of a nuclear power plant will bear full responsibility for the safety of the facility and for the costs incurred at the end of its life cycle. A national decommissioning fund will be established for the decommissioning of the nuclear power plant; during the plant's operational life, the operator will contribute funds to it for dismantling the plant and the final disposal of waste. The Act also provides for the principles of nuclear security, physical protection, emergency preparedness, and the implementation of international safeguards."
It is also limits the choice of technology "to solutions that have already been proven in practice". Subject to ratification from the President, the new law will come into force at the start of next year.
Fermi Energia says the act "clears the way for the nuclear regulator to approve the start of the second phase of Fermi Energia's national designated spatial plan and pre-assessment application for its planned 600 MWe nuclear power plant. Fermi Energia plans to submit this application in mid-2029".
Estonian SMR project
Fermi Energia was founded by Estonian energy and nuclear energy professionals to develop deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs) in Estonia. In July 2019, the company launched a feasibility study on the suitability of SMRs for Estonia's electricity supply and climate goals beyond 2030, following a financing round from investors and shareholders.
In February 2023, the company selected GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy's BWRX-300 SMR for potential deployment by the early 2030s. The BWRX-300 design is a 300 MWe water-cooled, natural circulation SMR with passive safety systems that leverages the design and licensing basis of the company's ESBWR boiling water reactor.
Fermi Energia expects to submit a construction permit application for the proposed two-SMR plant in 2029, with construction targeted to begin in 2031. The first of the SMRs is intended to be operational by the second half of 2035.
In April last year, Fermi Energia and South Korea's Samsung C&T signed a teaming agreement to collaborate on the deployment of two BWRX-300 SMRs in Estonia. Under the teaming agreement, the cooperation between Fermi Energia and Samsung C&T will focus on key aspects of the project, including the formation of an Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) partnership, site constructability review, cost estimation, and financing strategies. The agreement also positions Samsung C&T as a potential EPC Prime Contractor and key commercial partner in the Estonian SMR project. This collaboration built upon a memorandum of understanding signed between the two companies in November 2024.
A first BWRX-300 small modular reactor is currently under construction at the Darlington site in Canada. The aim is for the first of four planned units there to be connected to the grid in 2030.
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