To the Points of Contact for the Espoo
Convention in Austria, Denmark, 29.07.2025 6-3/25/3392-2
Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania,
Poland and Sweden
Information regarding the national designated spatial
plan for a nuclear power plant with an electric
capacity of 600 MW and the infrastructure necessary
for its operation
Hereby Estonia is early informing countries regarding the initiation of creation of a national
designated spatial plan (NDSP) together with strategic environmental assessment (SEA) for a
nuclear power plant (small modular reactor/SMR; two reactors) with an electric capacity of 600
MW and the infrastructure necessary for its operation.
On 12 June 2024, the parliament of Estonia – Riigikogu – passed a resolution supporting the
initiation of the process to introduce nuclear energy and establish the necessary legal and
organizational framework.
On 22 May 2025, the Government of the Republic of Estonia initiated the creation of a NDSP and
its SEA with the purpose to erect a nuclear power plant with an electric capacity of 600 MW and
the infrastructure necessary for its operation, including their connection to the existing network
(order No. 102). The NDSP is based on the application submitted by Fermi Energia AS; the
proposed plant will consist of two BWRX-300 reactors, a small modular reactor technology
developed by GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH). The planning area of the NDSP – i.e. area where
the most suitable location for the nuclear power plant is being searched for – encompasses the
territories of several local municipalities in Ida-Viru county and Lääne-Viru county and the sea
area adjacent to them. The size of the planning area is approximately 1285 km2. A map illustrating
the planning area is enclosed.
According to the Planning Act, the purpose of a NDSP is to erect a construction work which has
a significant spatial impact and whose chosen location or whose functioning elicits significant
national or international interest. SEA is mandatory when creating a NDSP. The NDSP procedure
consists of two main stages: pre-selection of a location (i.e. selecting the most suitable location for
the envisaged construction work) and thereafter creating the detailed solution (i.e. determining the
building rights of the envisaged construction work). As a result, an inclusive spatial solution will
be created for the envisaged construction work. The authority arranging the creation of a NDSP is
the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications; the NDSP is adopted by the Government
of the Republic.
Address Suur-Ameerika 1/ Tallinn 10122, Estonia/ Phone +372 626 2802/ E-mail
[email protected]/ Web
Page www.kliimaministeerium.ee/ Registration No 70001231
The letter is sent to the Espoo Convention’s Baltic Sea subregion countries for early information
sharing purposes. In addition, also Austria has been added in the list of recipients. The countries
will be informed about the progress of the planning procedure in the next stages. As part of the
pre-selection of a location stage, the initial positions for pre-selecting a location for the NDSP and
the plan’s SEA programme stage (i.e. scoping phase) will presumably take place in 2026. Based
on the current schedule for creating the NDSP and carrying out the SEA, it is estimated that the
adoption of the NDSP could take place in 2029.
In case of additional questions concerning the NDSP, please contact Ms Aili Tammaru (adviser,
land use and spatial planning policy department, Ministry of Economic Affairs and
Communications; e-mail:
[email protected]).
Sincerely Yours,
(signed electronically)
Eva Suurkaev
Acting as the Point of Contact for the Espoo Convention
Enclosure: map of the planning area of the NDSP
List of recipients (Points of Contact):
Austria: Ms Anna Eder, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry,
[email protected]
Denmark: Ms Maria Birkholm Søndermark, Ministry of Green Transition,
[email protected]
Finland: Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE),
[email protected];
[email protected]
Germany: Ms Isabel Lang, Ms Kalina Peneva-Gädeke, Federal Ministry for the Environment,
Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection,
[email protected]
Latvia: Energy and Environment Agency,
[email protected]
Lithuania: Mr Vitalijus Auglys, Ministry of Environment,
[email protected]; Ms Beata
Vilimaite Silobritiene,
[email protected]
Poland: Ms Dorota Toryfter-Szumanska, General Directorate for Environmental Protection,
[email protected];
[email protected]
Sweden: Swedish Environmental Protection Agency,
[email protected]; Ms Åsa Blomster,
[email protected]
For information:
Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications,
[email protected]
Fermi Energia AS,
[email protected]
Lilli Tamm, +372 626 9133,
[email protected]
Marily Jaska, +372 626 2982,
[email protected]
Rainer Persidski, +372 626 2973,
[email protected]