TALLINN - Estonian energy officials have expressed interest in participating in nuclear power generation in Finland, which could have significant impact on the country's role as an investor in the new atomic plant planned to be built in Lithuania. Sandor Liive, chairman of Eesti Energia (Estonian Energy), the state-owned energy utility, told the Baltic News Service the company would be interested in gaining exposure to Finland's new nuclear power projects.
"Eesti Energia is busy looking for opportunities of carbon dioxide-free electricity generation in order to diversify its electricity production portfolio," Liive said.
"In addition to renewable energy this can also be done by means of nuclear energy," he stressed.
Liive underlined that Finland had vast experience in developing modern nuclear power projects and has solved the issue of nuclear waste competently.
"We are interested in participating in nuclear energy projects. In addition to the ongoing project in Lithuania we are seriously interested in nuclear energy projects in Finland as well," he said.
It was unclear how Estonia's possible participation in a Finnish nuclear project would affect its intention to become joint owner of a new atomic plant in Lithuania that will replace the existing Ignalina facility due to be shut down in 2009.
However, a recent study on Baltic energy strategy found that existing generation capacities would suffice after Ignalina's closure, but the need for the construction of new power plants will still be acute.
In 2015 the maximum load of the Baltic electricity market is estimated to reach 6,000 megawatts. With Ignalina closed, and Lithuania's thermal power and Estonia's Narva plants revamped, newer combination power plants will be needed to help maintain capacity. Thus the need to build new power plants will not subside.
The timing of Liive's statement, however, may not be accidental considering mounting dissatisfaction with how Lithuania has handled the initial planning phase of the new atomic plant.
Single-handedly Vilnius has signed a deal with Poland on joint ownership without first consulting Estonia and Latvia, both of which originally agreed on the project together with Lithuania.
Then Lithuanian authorities reneged on equal, three-way distribution of ownership and now insist on a 34 percent stake for themselves while giving the other three partners, including Poland, a 22 percent stake each.
Estonia and Latvia have suggested that key decisions regarding the project be made by the three countries' utilities. Lithuania, in the meantime, is in the process of passing legislation that will fix ownership stakes.
In Finland, a fifth nuclear power plant is being built, and two conglomerates are planning to build additional reactors.
For Estonia, the issue of carbon dioxide emissions will become more important in the future as the emission quota allocated to the Baltic state in the next period is only half of what the country had originally wanted.
