A new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NuScale Power and Fermi Energia has just been signed. NuScale will support Fermi Energia in evaluating the deployment of a NuScale small modular reactor (SMR) nuclear power plant in Estonia by 2023.
In 2019, NuScale’s technology was one of those chosen in 2019 by Fermi for a feasibility study on the suitability of SMRs for Estonia’s electricity supply and climate goals beyond 2030. The new MoU covers further analysis and considers the deployment of a NuScale VOYGR plant.
John Hopkins is the President and CEO of NuScale. He said, “Considering the geopolitics of today, this agreement builds upon the existing momentum and strong interest from the international community who are looking to NuScale's SMR technology as the premier, flexible, and cost-competitive climate solution.”
Kalev Kallemets is the Fermi Energia CEO and co-founder. He said, “The great advantage of the new generation of small modular reactors is clearly manifested in the case of Estonia. They fit better into the electricity grid, are more flexible and economical to operate, and meet stricter safety requirements than the existing nuclear plants. Before choosing the most suitable technology for Estonia, we will conduct a comprehensive analysis and evaluate which of the small reactors that will become market-ready in the near future best meets Estonia's needs to produce CO2-free energy year-round, in any weather, at an affordable price.”
NuScale’s VOYGR plant features the NuScale Power Module. This is a pressurized water reactor with all the components for steam generation and heat exchange incorporated into a single seventy-seven megawatt unit. It is the first SMR design to receive approval from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The first commercial deployment for a NuScale VOYGR power plant is expected to be as a six-module unit constructed for Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems' Carbon Free Power Project. It will be built at a site at the Idaho National Laboratory in the U.S.
Estonia currently generates most of its electricity from the combustion of shale oil. However, the Estonian government announced plans in early 2021 to reach carbon neutrality by 2050 and to stop producing shale oil in 2035. Fermi Energia was created by a group of Estonian energy and nuclear energy professionals to focus on the development and deployment of SMRs to enable the country to reach those goals. Since its founding in 2019, the company has conducted a series of research and preliminary works. They aim to start energy production by 2031. Fermi has selected GE Hitachi’s BWRX-300 as its reference technology. It is also analyzing several other SMR technologies such as Terrestrial Energy's ISMR-400, Moltex SSR-W300 and Rolls-Royce's UK SMR.
The most recent in a twice-yearly survey series conducted in Estonia by Kanta Emor for Fermi was carried out earlier this month. The new survey showed the highest level of support for the building of an SMR since the survey began in 2019. Sixty nine percent of those polled are in support of such a project. Twenty percent said they were not in favor of a SMR and eleven percent were undecided.
Manager Mihkel Loide is Fermi Energia's Communications Manager. He said, "Compared to the results of the survey conducted in January of this year, the share of strong supporters has increased, while the share of people who have no opinion and are against has continued to decrease. People's views on energy issues have been sharply affected this year by the painful increase in the price of energy carriers and issues related to ensuring security of supply, which are also reflected in the results of the survey.”