Updated 30th August 2025; Estonia has entered a decisive phase in its nuclear energy ambitions after formally launching a national planning process and environmental impact assessment for a 600 MW small modular reactor (SMR) nuclear power plant. The project, proposed in January by Fermi Energia, will use GE Hitachi’s BWRX-300 SMR technology, with the submission of a construction permit application targeted for 2029.
Project factsheet: Estonia’s small modular reactor (SMR) nuclear power plant
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Project capacity: 600 MW small modular reactor (SMR) nuclear power plant.
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Technology: GE Hitachi’s BWRX-300 SMR technology selected by developer Fermi Energia.
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Timeline: Construction permit application targeted for 2029; first SMR potentially operational by 2035.
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Site options: Pre-selection phase (2025–2027) focusing on Kunda (Viru-Nigula County) and Aa (Luganuse County) in northern Estonia.
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Assessment process: Comprehensive studies on geology, hydrology, environmental impact, and grid connectivity to determine the final site.
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Funding: €2.6 million secured from existing and new investors to finance the initial phase of the planning process.
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Partnerships: Teaming agreement signed with South Korea’s Samsung C&T as a potential engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor.
The planning process will proceed in structured phases between 2025 and 2027, starting with site pre-selection in Kunda (Viru-Nigula County) and Aa (Luganuse County) in northern Estonia. Extensive studies, including geology, hydrology, and grid connectivity, will follow to ensure compliance with strict safety and performance standards.
Backed by €2.6 million in investor funding and a new teaming agreement with South Korea’s Samsung C&T, Fermi Energia says the initiative reflects Estonia’s long-term energy security and climate commitments, with the first SMR potentially operational by 2035.
Estonia’s early planning steps have since been echoed by Poland, which in August 2025 confirmed the construction of its first small modular reactor nuclear power plant in Włocławek. Poland’s project strengthens the case for SMRs across the region, showing how Estonia’s pioneering decision to begin environmental and site assessments has helped inspire its neighbours to follow suit.
Reported on September 2022: The small modular reactor nuclear power plant in Estonia, scheduled to go online in 2032, could be built in the upcoming years by GE Hitachi, Nuscale, or Rolls-Royce. The nuclear power plant’s developer, Fermi Energia, has released a request for proposals for the construction of the next-generation compact modular reactor. All three firms have already started the planning process with the appropriate regulators. Furthermore, they have plans to build power facilities in larger nations.
Fermi Energia will choose the technology in February 2023 after awaiting cost estimates that are due in December. Manager Kalev Kallemets said in a statement that the organization has been debating what technology should be utilized since 2019. It has in the process drawn out many choices.
Support for small modular reactor nuclear power plant in Estonia
Nuscale, GE Hitachi, and Rolls-Royce are supported by the United States and the United Kingdom, respectively, according to Chief Technology Officer Marti Jeltsov. “In the most recent years, all three organizations have attained design maturity. This provides critical protection for projects’ viability. A new generation of compact reactors has entered the market. Thus it has given Fermi Energia the chance to select a technology more quickly than anticipated “he added.
The BWRX-300 compact reactor from GE Hitachi has served as Fermi Energia’s standard technology in nearly ten studies so far. Furthermore, work on its building is already under way at a facility not far from Toronto, Canada.
In the coming years, Nuscale and Rolls-Royce intend to begin their first builds. Fermi Energia aims to construct a reactor. This is in order to ensure that its customers’ electricity is produced regardless of the weather. Long-term fixed pricing will begin at 55 euros per megawatt-hour.
