If current trends in electricity consumption continue, after 2040 no country will be able to do without nuclear energy, said Martiņš Čakste, chairman of the board of Latvenergo, in an interview with Latvian Radio, LETA reports.
Speaking about current trends in electricity consumption, Čakste pointed out the high level of electrification and highlighted the significant amount of energy consumed by artificial intelligence technologies. According to the head of Latvenergo, renewable resources — wind and solar — will not be sufficient for all of this.
Meanwhile, Minister of Climate and Energy Kaspars Meļņiks noted on Latvian Radio that if there is such strong resistance in society to the construction of wind farms, who will be willing to live next to a nuclear power plant? According to him, it is clear that a nuclear power plant should be located where there is appropriate infrastructure, including power lines, and not deep in the forest where no one will see it.
The second largest challenge, according to Meļņiks, may be the cost of constructing small modular nuclear reactors, which is not low at all. The minister emphasized that the main advantage of nuclear energy is its low operating costs; however, in the current situation, prices are quite high and difficult to predict.
As previously reported, the Ministry of Climate and Energy (MCE) plans to order an assessment of the potential for nuclear energy development in Latvia for 1.425 million euros, according to information from the Procurement Monitoring Bureau.
The MCE has published an announcement for consultations with suppliers regarding the procurement of "Assessment of the Potential for Nuclear Energy Development in Latvia." The competition is planned to be announced in February.
The technical specification of the competition, posted in the Electronic Procurement System, states that the main goal of the assessment is to provide a comprehensive, data-driven analysis that will serve as the basis for policy formation and decision-making on the implementation of small modular reactors (SMR) in Latvia.
The winner of the competition will need to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the implementation of SMR in Latvia, covering technical, legal, environmental, social, financial, and economic aspects.
As LETA has already reported, in May 2025, the government instructed the MCE to begin preparations for the initial phase of the nuclear energy program by September 1, as well as to consider opportunities for cooperation with Estonia in the construction and operation of a nuclear power plant.
In November, the MCE reported that it had contacted the Ministry of Climate of Estonia regarding planned actions in the field of nuclear energy development, including the preparation of regulatory frameworks and oversight.
