A Baltic Startup Throws Lifeline to Nuclear’s Next Big Thing
Estonia looks at small modular reactors to keep its energy independence
High voltage electricity power lines hang from pylons at Eesti Energia AS's Enefit 280 oil shale processing plant and energy production facility in Narva, Estonia
Photographer: Peter KollanyiThis article is for subscribers only.
A startup in the smallest Baltic state could play an outsized role picking the winner in what the nuclear industry hopes will be its next big thing.
Fermi Energia OU is looking at proposals to build a small modular reactor, or SMR, in Estonia by the middle of next decade. The units are supposed to provide cheaper and more flexible generation than traditional atomic plants. The project could wean the market of 1.3 million people off their dependence on oil, while also securing energy independence from Russia.