The final report of the nuclear energy working group was discussed for the first time in the Riigikogu on Thursday. Experts recommended building a small power plant with a modular reactor with a capacity of up to 400 megawatts.

Reelika Runnel, head of the Radiation and Nuclear Energy Unit at the Ministry of Climate, said Estonia needs to ensure its supply security and achieve its climate goals.

"The state needs to be able to provide at least 1200 MW of managed generation capacity that is climate-friendly at the same time. The construction of a nuclear power plant would certainly be one way of achieving these objectives. But whether to go down this route or what is a credible alternative is a matter for politicians to decide," she told Thursday's "Aktuaalne kaamera".

Introducing nuclear energy will require years of work. Based on debates in the Riigikogu, a draft is being prepared, which is expected to be adopted by the Riigikogu before midsummer.

The government can then propose a framework for nuclear power's development, said Igor Taro (Eesti 200), chairman of the Riigikogu's Environment Committee.

"The framework does not make the decision on whether or not to build the plant, where to build it, but it gives us the opportunity to," he added

It is still unknown if the Riigikogu will pass the bill, as MPs can vote as they wish.

MPs told AK they are more concerned about the feasibility of building a power plan than environmental issues.

Center's Lauri Laats said: "We can certainly find other options modeled where in the energy system we could have somewhere in the future 80 percent renewables, 20 percent either biomass or gas providing the base load. And those solutions are significantly cheaper than building a nuclear power plant."

The Riigikogu Economic Committee Chairman Priit Lomp (SDE) said: "If the energy deficit is 4 percent per hour, is an investment of billions of euros by the private sector, by the investment banks, which, by the way, are not at all fond of nuclear energy, and, finally, is the state's contribution to this through regulation, through training, through increasing emergency response capacity – is this necessary and sensible to guarantee this 4 percent?"

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