USA to assist Estonia in nuclear capacity building
If one checks in with the Electricity Map regularly, albeit not as of this writing (2:18P US EST US, 9:18 PM Tallin Time 02/13/22, Carbon intensity 372 g CO2/kwh, marginally higher than Germany, but over 300 g CO2/kwh higher than France) one will quickly recognize that Estonia has some of the dirtiest electricity in Europe, often showing up in the very dark brown region indicating near total dependence on coal with carbon intensities well over 700 g CO2/kWh.
Estonia is geographically a low lying country with many lakes. Measurements of sea level in the area consist of some of the longest continuous records in the world, extending into the first half of the 19th century, but have been complicated by apparent geological uplift and subsistence, as well as the hydrodynamics of the Baltic Sea. (Cf. [link:https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/8306270|Decomposition of Relative Sea Level Variations at
Tide Gauges Using Results From Four Estonian Precise Levelings and Uplift Models] IEEE (Journal of Selected Topics in Appled Earth Observations and Remote Sensing, VOL. 11, NO. 6, JUNE 2018 1966-1974)
The country is at risk because of extreme weather events and indeed coastal storms have caused considerable damage to the Estonian coast: Tõnisson, H., Kont, A., Orviku, K. et al. Application of system approach framework for coastal zone management in Pärnu, SW Estonia. J Coast Conserv 23, 931–942 (2019)
It behooves any nation serious about climate change to embrace nuclear energy, and Estonia has taken its first steps at doing so, collaborating with the US Government: USA to assist Estonia in nuclear capacity building
An excerpt:
Launched last year, the FIRST programme is designed to deepen strategic ties, support energy innovation and advance technical collaboration with partner countries on secure and safe nuclear energy infrastructure. To date, the US Department of State has announced USD6.3 million to support FIRST projects worldwide.
Estonia expressed its desire to join the programme in late 2021, and the focus of the training topics and the length of the first training programme were soon agreed upon.
The initial training will take place virtually between February and September and will focus on nuclear security, safety and non-proliferation. The training sessions will be attended by representatives of government ministries, their subdivisions, universities and stakeholders.
Future capacity-building will address the establishment of national nuclear safety regulations, workforce development, stakeholder engagement and site assessments of a nuclear power plant.
According to Estonia's Minister of Environment Erki Savisaar, collaborating with the USA through FIRST programme training will enhance the knowledge of Estonia's specialists considering the deployment of small modular reactors and help the country to make an informed decision on the feasibility of including nuclear energy in Estonia's energy mix.
"We must first find out what opportunities nuclear technology offers and be aware of the responsibilities and obligations involved," Savisaar said...
It's a small start but it's all good.
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