Last week, the European Parliament endorsed rules that consider investments in nuclear energy as environmentally friendly technologies. This decision provoked a loud outcry from the greens in the European Parliament, but their efforts to stop it failed. Latvia has also finally started preparing to add nuclear power plants to its energy mix. A draft law will be considered by the Saeima this week.
On Thursday, the Saeima will consider in final reading amendments to the Energy Law, which, among other things, adds an article obliging the country to prepare its electricity transmission system for the connection of nuclear power plants. "The electricity transmission system operator shall provide the necessary system connection to a nuclear power plant to the system participant in the manner set out in the Electricity Market Law in order to promote Latvia's energy independence," reads the wording of the law approved by the Economic, Agricultural, Environmental and Regional Policy Committee in its third reading.
Initially, the draft law stipulated that the system operator should provide the necessary infrastructure for the construction of a nuclear power plant in Latvia, but this geographical link disappeared from the draft law during the legislative process.
This does not mean that Latvia has completely abandoned nuclear power. Krišjānis Feldmans, chairman of the committee responsible, explains that the so-called modular nuclear power plants, with a capacity of 300 to 400 megawatt-hours, are being considered. Given that around 1,300 megawatts are needed during peak electricity consumption hours, it is clear that our needs would not be covered by connecting to a similar NPP in Estonia, which has gone further than Latvia on this issue.
"For these solutions, developers are still working on potential designs that could be the ones to work. It could be, for example, a joint Baltic project, but if the capacity is more modest, it could also be a Latvian project. At the moment, the Ministry of Economics is planning to evaluate this direction. We have a peak hour demand in Latvia of about 1,300 megawatts, if the modular reactor is 300 megawatts, you have to realize that the Baltics are not enough, we need a couple of these on our own," said the chairman of the responsible committee. He also stresses that NPP construction is definitely at least a decade in the future, as it means a completely different way of thinking, for example also on safety issues.
Kāris Šadurskis, representing New Unity (Jaunā vienotība) on the responsible committee, believes that Latvia definitely needs its own NPP. "I think it is Latvia's future. Without nuclear energy, it is difficult for us to talk about energy independence. And now we have examined the Energy Law for the third reading in the Economic Committee, it will go to the plenary session of the Saeima on July 14, and there we have a clear task for the leadership to work on the nuclear energy program," says Šadurskis. He also notes that modular reactors are easier to build, have a lower environmental impact and are easier to connect to the grid, thanks to their relatively small capacity.
Even before Russia's war in Ukraine, Latvenergo board member Kaspars Cikmačs has questioned the need for NPPs in Latvia. In his view, the most likely option would be a cooperation project with, for example, Estonia, where the parliament has already approved a move towards building a nuclear reactor.
Edgars Tavars, chairman of the Latvian Green Party (Latvijas Zaļā partija), who once protested against the construction of a nuclear power plant in Visaginas, Lithuania, is also cautiously skeptical about the construction of a nuclear power plant in Latvia. "I don't see any greenness in it, there are many risks, including radioactive ones, but if we are talking about modern and small NPPs, where we can really put on the table evidence that it is safe, that all risks have been prevented, then we can talk about it," says the MP, currently not a member of any Saeima faction. He admits, however, that the energy problems caused by the war started by Russia have made the world look at electricity sources differently. "I understand because there is no alternative."