Atomic Policy in Latvia

Soviet Time

From 1940 to 1990 Latvia was a part of the Soviet Union thus its nuclear policy could not differ from the Soviet one. Main political and economical decisions were made by the Soviet government in Moscow and the government of Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR) had to implement them. Their power to object was limited.

In the 1950s Soviet government, following an initiative by Igor Kurchatov, a Soviet nuclear physicist who is widely known as the director of the Soviet atomic bomb project,decided to build 20 research reactors in different regions of the USSR and abroad.

However, the idea to build a research reactor in Latvia was a local initiative. It was a proposal from physicists from the Institute of Physics of the Academy of Sciences. The government of Latvian SSR forwarded it to the Council of Ministers of the USSR in spring 1958. The acceptance was received a few weeks later. The construction of „Salaspils Research Reactor“ (SRR) started in January 1959. SRR was put into operation in 1961 and carried out neutron activation analysis, nuclear reaction research, researches in solid state radiation physics, radiochemistry and radiobiology. It is the only research reactor Latvia has ever had and was the only civilian research reactor in the Baltics. SRR is located 2 km from the centre of Salaspils city and 25 km from Riga, the capital. It was shut down in 1998. The spent fuel was sent to Mayak Production Association in Russia in May 2008 within a bilateral governmental agreement.

At the end of the 1950s and the beginning of the 1960s the second nuclear facility was built - a radioactive waste repository. It is called „Radons“ and is located in Baldone, 5 km from the city of Baldone and 27 km from Riga, the capital. „Radons“ (in operation since 1962) is a near-surface repository for both burial and storage of low and intermediate level radioactive waste.

The fact that there are no nuclear power plants (NPPs) in the territory of Latvia does not mean that there were no plans to build them. Alluding to deficiency of natural energy resources in the north-western part of the former Soviet Union and more extensive application of nuclear energy, the USSR State Plan Committee recurrently proposed Latvia to build an NPP. It is known as the Pāvilostas NPP project.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s the USSR Designing Institute at the Ministry of Energetics and Electrification started looking out for possibilities to locate NPPs on the banks of various lakes in Latvia. However, this idea was postponed after the government of Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR) agreed to build Ignalina NPP on its territory.

Nevertheless, already in 1975 the USSR Ministry of Energetics and Electrification repeatedly suggested that the government of Latvian SSR should use nuclear energy and reserve possible building sites for the future NPP. The government of Latvian SSR did not respond to this proposal since it had found an alternative by agreeing to build Daugavpils Hydroelectric Power Plant (HPP). Here I would like to add that this HPP was never built. The project was cancelled in 1987 due to massive protests, lack of cement in the USSR or lack of financial resources - depending on who to ask.

The temporarily suspended NPP project was renewed in 1980. Three sites were offered for the final choice:

• 8 km south from Pāvilosta (30 km from Liepāja, the third biggest city in Latvia);
• 5 km north from Pāvilosta;
• and in Pape, which is situated 24 km from Liepāja and 28 km from the border with Lithuania.

In 1981 the government of Latvian SSR gave a principal consent to reserve two options for the construction site. The USSR Ministry of Energetics and Electrification envisaged the construction of an NPP with a 3,000 MWe electric capacity.

The final project of the NPP differed from the original one. The NPP was designed with four power generating units and 4,000 MWe total electric capacity. They had to be water-water nuclear reactors VVER 1000. The estimated amount of produced electricity was 22.5 TWh per year. Total number of the staff: 2,100 persons. The estimated construction period consisted of:

• the time of designing and preparation: 6 years;
• the construction time of the first unit: 6 years;
• the total construction time: 12 years.

15 000 workers would have been engaged in construction works.

Later the USSR Ministry of Energetics and Electrification announced to the government of Latvian SSR that the construction of a larger NPP would have to be envisaged on the reserved sites with 6,000 MWe total electric capacity.

But, once again, these plans were interrupted. Two events in the 1980s - „perestroika“ and Chernobyl disaster – stopped their implementation.

Independent State

Latvia is a country that considers nuclear power as one of energy sources - the country needs to import 20-30 % of electricity per year. A part of it is nuclear power. The country was purchasing electricity from Ignalina NPP and a part of electricity imported from Russia is also produced in NPPs. In the document “Development of Nuclear Energetics in Latvia” (2009) it is stated that “summing up the amounts of electricity purchased from Lithuania and Russia which are produced at NPPs, we obtain approximately 1 TWh electric energy a year.” In 2012 the total energy consumption in Latvia were 9 TWh.

The Government is pro-nuclear. Information available on the website of The Cabinet of Ministers states that "On Friday, December 2 [2011], Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis and Prime Minister of Lithuania Andrius Kubilius in conversation have confirmed that the Visagina Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) will be economically viable and advantageous project for the people of the Baltic States." In March 2012 the Prime Ministers of all Baltic States met in Lithuania and "have reaffirmed their commitment to build the Visaginas power plant and have promised to work together to make sure progress is maintained". An article, available on the discussion page of the Ministry of Economics praises nuclear power and lists its (so-called) benefits.

Although the future of the Visaginas NPP (LT) project became unclear after the Lithuanian referendum in autumn 2012, Latvia is still a stakeholder. On January 29, 2013 Āris Žīgurs, Chairman of the Board of the energy power supply enterprise "Latvenergo", stated "I confirm that we still have interest [in this project]".

One of the reasons why Latvia is interested in the Visaginas project is the willingness to reduce energy dependence from Russia. Since the collapse of the USSR and the restoration of independence Latvia is trying to avoid Russia as much as possible.

When it is about public discussions about energy, nuclear power usually appears as an inevitable source of it in future. For instance, Namejs Zeltiņš, President of Latvia Member Committee of World Energy Council and Member of the Board of National Confederation of Energy has stated “There is no other way how to insure Latvian energy independence.”

The document “Development of Nuclear Energetics in Latvia” also states that “Considering the deficiency of energy resources and restrictions on emissions, it will be possible to ensure reliable provision of Latvia with electricity only by applying nuclear energy.” Nuclear power is praised because “The NPPs are economically profitable and their main advantage is non-pollution of atmosphere with harmful emissions.” Apparently authors of these lines agree to Comrade Leonid Brezhnev who once said that „economy must be economic“. Ecology is also an important issue – Latvia is the 2nd greenest country in the world and it is trying to be even more green. Oh, and if speaking about renewables...

Although 38,75 % of the total energy consumption in 2006 was made by renewable energy, it is not seen as a good alternative to nuclear power because it is “expensive”.

An energy development plan that was presented in a board meeting of both Latvian Member Committee of World Energy Council and National Confederation of Energy on August 4, 2008 envisages that until 2010 gas would be dominating in Latvian energy, from 2010 to 2020 energy would mostly be produced from coal, from 2020 to 2030 – from coal and nuclear power, but after 2030 Latvia would have to build an NPP in order to ensure the country's energy independence.

As for the public opinion on nuclear power, it is difficult to assess it. For instance, an opinion poll "Whether or not Latvia should participate in the Visaginas project" (taken on July 3-5, 2012) showed that 45 % of respondents were supporting the project (13 % said "definitely yes", 32 % said "rather yes"), 37 % said "no" (15 % - "definitely no", 22 % "rather no"). 18 % had no opinion on this issue. But given that only 500 people participated in this opinion poll, it cannot represent the general public opinion.