The government is seeking public comment on its proposed revision of the 35-year-old Nuclear Energy Act. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment published the draft bill on Thursday.
The biggest change would mean the government takes over the main decision-making role in approvals of new nuclear energy projects from Parliament.
In the past, the issue has been deeply divisive in Finnish politics. The latest proposal for a new nuclear plant, the Fennovoima project on Finland’s upper west coast, was cancelled after Russia’s full-scale attack on Ukraine in 2022. It was to have been built by a Russian state firm.
If the bill passes as expected, the granting of permits in principle for nuclear power plants will be transferred from Parliament to the government. Parliament would simply receive a report on the decision.
Electricity consumption set to double
Presenting the bill on Thursday, Minister of the Environment and Climate Sari Multala (NCP), said that the main goal of the reform is to keep the use of nuclear energy in line with the overall interest of society and to ensure the safety of operations and the nuclear waste generated in Finland.
According to Multala, Finland needs more nuclear power. The government aims to sharply expand Finland’s electricity production. Consumption is expected to double due to industrial investments.
“The aim is to strengthen Finland’s status as an attractive location for nuclear energy production and the construction of new plants. This will be achieved by speeding up and streamlining the preparation and implementation of projects,” Multala said.
For small nuclear power plant projects, decisions would be made by the Ministry of Employment and the Economy. The government would also be able to approve decisions to extend the lifespan of nuclear reactors.
Import of nuclear weapons and waste still prohibited
With Finland’s Nato membership, there has been debate about whether Finland should allow the transit of nuclear weapons. However, the ban on nuclear explosives remains unchanged in the revised Nuclear Energy Act.
Likewise, a clause forbidding the import of nuclear waste also remains in place. The Finnish firm Posiva has built a final disposal site for such waste adjacent to the Olkiluoto power plant on the southwest coast. But according to Multala, Finland will still not accept waste from other countries, even though it is one of the only countries that has so far built a final disposal site.
Another change concerns the licensing of potential uranium mines. In future, mining permits would be granted by industrial authorities rather than the government.
Comments on the draft act may be submitted until late August.