Estonia's nuclear power plans draw criticism over cost and feasibility

Estonia's government plans to allocate €2.5 million in its draft 2027 budget to establish a nuclear oversight system, even as spending is being cut in areas such as road repairs, social support and civil servant positions. According to an explanation from the Ministry of Climate dated September 28, 2026, around €2.2 million is earmarked for building a new nuclear safety regulator within the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority, covering hiring of staff and outside experts. A further €300,000 would go toward preparatory work by ministries and agencies to build a legal framework and conduct nuclear safety research.

In a published commentary, writer Gamazin raises doubts about the rationale behind the planned nuclear plant, comparing it to so-called "monuments to communism" — a label previously applied to the Rail Baltica project. He notes that, as with Finland's nuclear plants built by Swedish-German companies or Rosatom, Estonia's project would likely rely on foreign firms for design and construction, meaning dependence on outside specialists from the earliest stages.

Fermi Energia and funding questions

The project is being driven by the partnership Fermi Energia Markets, whose board chairman, Kalev Kallemets, holds 40% of its shares. Commercial register records show the company's share capital is just €2,500, with its main field of activity listed broadly as "other professional, scientific and technical activity."

The commentary compares the planned capacity of Estonia's reactors — two units of 300 megawatts each, totaling 600 MW — with Finland's existing two plants, whose combined capacity exceeds 2,800 MW and covers roughly 42% of that country's electricity consumption. Estonia's peak winter electricity demand reached 1,466 megawatts on February 19. Citing journalist Arthur Tooman, the author notes that construction costs over a planned ten-year build could reach €14 billion.

The piece also references a recent drone strike on a chimney at the Auvere power plant, which has drawn attention to the vulnerability of substations that nuclear plants depend on for continuous operation. It further points out that Estonia lacks qualified nuclear specialists, that fuel would need to be imported from Canada or Kazakhstan, and that disposing of radioactive waste is complicated by the geological features of the local soil.