Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment issues competent authority statement on EIA programme of Kuopio Energia Oy’s SMR plant project
On 15 July 2026, the Finnish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment issued a competent authority statement on the environmental impact assessment (EIA) programme of Kuopion Energia Oy’s project to build a small modular reactor (SMR) plant for district heating production. The statement was issued as part of the EIA procedure.
Kuopion Energia Oy is planning to build an SMR plant connected to the district heating network of the City of Kuopio. The EIA procedure concerns an SMR plant with a total rated thermal input of 150 MW or less and up to four reactors producing district heat. Its technology will be specified later. The plant would be located either in Hepomäki or in Sorsasalo. In the Hepomäki option, a transmission pipe would be laid in connection with a new road, while in the Sorsasalo option it would be laid underwater in Lake Kallavesi.
The EIA procedure also examines the plans for the processing and temporary storage at the plant site of generated nuclear waste, other radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel.
The EIA programme was available for public viewing from 15 April to 15 June 2026, allowing authorities, communities, residents in the area affected by the project and the general public to submit statements and opinions. Altogether 21 statements and 16 opinions were received. Some of the opinions had dozens of signatories. International consultation produced 13 additional statements. A public information event was organised in Kuopio on 27 April 2026.
The competent authority’s statement takes account of the statements and opinions received on the EIA programme. The environmental impact assessment by the developer, Kuopion Energia Oy, must consider the competent authority’s statement and other statements and opinions issued on the EIA programme.
The Ministry’s statement identifies needs to further specify the EIA
According to the Ministry’s statement, the EIA programme largely provides an appropriate basis, basis for the environmental impact assessment. It identifies the environmental impacts of the project on a broad scale and describes the starting points for the EIA. The description of the current state of the environment forms, for the most part, a sufficient basis for identifying the project’s impacts.
However, since the project involves a small modular reactor (SMR) plant that so far has not been used to produce district heating in Finland, the Ministry requires that the developer specify its EIA report especially regarding the proposed nuclear plant.
The developer’s report should describe in more detail the technical baseline assumptions of the project, the criteria and methods used in the EIA and its key uncertainties. The early stage of the planning phase can be considered in the examination of the accuracy of the EIA report. Nevertheless, the report must clearly indicate such matters as the baseline data, criteria and methods used and how the uncertainties affect the EIA conclusions.
According to the EIA programme, key environmental impacts of the project would include impacts on the waterways and natural environment during the construction of the transmission pipe, impacts on human health, living conditions and amenity, and impacts on the climate.
The Ministry says that besides these the developer’s EIA report should also focus on impacts associated with the urban structure and land use and with emergencies and accidents. The developer should also assess whether the project would have impacts on the processing and storage of radioactive waste and on material assets, soil, bedrock, groundwater, transport and the cultural environment.
The Ministry’s statement draws attention to the requirement that the land use planning and EIA procedure for the project should be scheduled so that the results of the EIA procedure can be considered in the further planning of the project.
The next stage of the EIA procedure will be Kuopion Energia’s EIA report
In the next stage, Kuopion Energia will carry out the environmental impact assessment and prepare an EIA report on it. Another hearing will be arranged once the EIA report is complete, after which the Ministry will issue a reasoned conclusion on the report. The purpose of the EIA procedure is to produce information on environmental impacts to be used later in permit procedures and decision-making.
Inquiries:
Venla Liljeström, Senior Specialist, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, tel. +358 295 047 058
Juho Korteniemi, Senior Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, tel. +358 295 047 054