Consultation begins on EIA report of Kuopion Energia’s SMR project

Kuopion Energia Oy has submitted to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment an environmental impact assessment (EIA) programme concerning its plan to build a small nuclear power plant in Kuopio for district heating production. The EIA programme is a plan prepared by the party responsible for the project that details the necessary analyses and organisation of the environmental impact assessment procedure.

The consultation on the EIA programme began on 15 April 2026. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment will act as the coordinating authority for the project and will ensure that the assessment programme and report are made publicly available. It will compile all comments and opinions submitted and give the statement of the coordinating authority. The Finnish Environment Institute will organise a public consultation in accordance with the Espoo Convention on environmental impact assessment in a transboundary context.

EIA looks at two implementation options and one where project is not carried out

The EIA of the small-scale nuclear power plant project in Kuopio examines two options for implementing the project and one where the project is not carried out. Under the implementation options, the company would construct a small modular reactor (SMR) with a maximum thermal output of 150 MW that would consist of up to four reactors producing district heat in Hepomäki or Sorsasalo. 

In the Hepomäki option, a small nuclear power plant would be built approximately nine kilometres south-west of the centre of Kuopio. In order to transmit the heat, a transmission pipe of about 2.5 kilometres would be laid under a new road connecting to Kuopion Energia’s district heating connection point in the Matkus area.

In the Sorsasalo option, a small nuclear power plant would be built approximately six kilometres north-east of the centre of Kuopio. In order to transmit the heat, a new transmission pipe of approximately 11–13 kilometres would be constructed at the bottom of Lake Kallavesi leading to the Haapaniemi power plant. The EIA examines alternative routes for the southern part of the transmission pipe either across Väinölänniemi or south of Rönö and other nearby islands.

The size of the plant area will be approximately 10 hectares in both implementation options. To carry out the project, new roads, a power transmission line and water and sewage pipes would have to be constructed. The project assessed in the EIA procedure also involves the processing and temporary storage at the plant site of very low-level, low-level and intermediate-level nuclear waste as well as high-level used nuclear fuel generated during the operation of the power plant.

Public notice on the EIA programme will be available from 15 April to 15 June – Public event in Kuopio on 27 April 

The public notice concerning the project will be available on 15 April–15 June in Kuopio, Iisalmi, Suonenjoki, Lapinlahti, Leppävirta, Rautavaara, Siilinjärvi, Tervo, Pielavesi, Kaavi, Juuka and Tuusniemi. The announcement of the public notice will be published in Savon Sanomat and Viikkosavo on 15 April.

Together with Kuopion Energia Oy and the City of Kuopio, the Ministry will also organise a public event on the EIA programme. During the event, citizens will have an opportunity to receive information about the project and its environmental impacts. The event will be held in the City Council Building (Suokatu 42, Kuopio) on Monday 27 April 2026 at 17.00. Coffee will be served at 16.30. The event will be streamed online. The link to the stream will be published on the Ministry’s website. 

Comments on EIA programme will be accepted until 15 June

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment requests authorities and organisations to submit comments and opinions on the programme. It will also organise a public consultation for citizens and communities. The consultation period will end on 15 June 2026. The consultation will be carried out online in the Lausuntopalvelu.fi service. The EIA programme of the project is available on the website of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment at https://tem.fi/en/kuopion-energia-eia-programme

There are several ways to submit comments on the programme. In addition to the Lausuntopalvelu.fi service, you may send your comments by email to kirjaamo.tem(at)gov.fi or by post to the Registry of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment to: Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, PO Box 32, FI-00023 GOVERNMENT. Comments addressed to the Ministry may also be handed in at the Government Distribution Centre in Kirkkokatu 12, Helsinki. 

Please include the register number VN/10941/2026 in all comments and opinions. Comments and personal data of the commenter may be published on the Ministry’s project website. Information on the Ministry’s privacy policy is available at https://tem.fi/en/data-protection.

Inquiries:
Juho Korteniemi, Senior Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, tel. +358 295 047 054 0295 047 054
Venla Liljeström, Senior Specialist, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, tel. +358 295 047 058 
Petri Turtiainen, Development Manager, Kuopion Energia Oy, tel. +358 40 709 7621