ERR News Editor: Mari Peegel, Helen Wright, https://news.err.ee/1608994484/nuclear-waste-disposal-site-could-be-built-next-to-power-plant, 31 May 23
Waste produced by a future nuclear power plant could be stored on the same site, newly published analysis carried out by the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Finance shows.
The government is studying several sites across the country to see if any are suitable for a future small reactor.
After the announcement was made in April, additional research was carried out into the plant's waste disposal at sites in Loksa, Kunda, Toila, and Varbla.
Now the results show it would be possible to build storage sites for nuclear waste at these locations, said Anna-Helena Purre from Steiger OÜ, who undertook the study.
"We carried out a spatial analysis: We looked at the location of the plant itself in open and closed cooling systems. Secondly, we looked at waste disposal - the low- and intermediate-level waste scenarios - and spent fuel disposal - the high-level waste scenario. These can be buried in deep boreholes, for example," she said.
The government has not yet decided whether it will build a nuclear power plant and a decision is likely to be made in 2024. Production would start in 2035 at the earliest.
The U.S., France, Canada, UK, Japan, and Germany have stepped up to cooperate with Estonia.
Initially, 15 sites in Toila, Kunda, Loksa, Kuusalu, Viimsi, Paljaassaare, Kakumäe, Saare and Hiiumaa, Varbla and Harku municipalities were under consideration. But taking into account the plant's socio-economic aspects, sites in places with a decreasing and below-average population far from the capital are preferred.
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