Latvia will have to consider the use of nuclear energy in the future as energy consumption by the economy and data centres increases, while the Baltic states continue to face an electricity deficit, Arvils Ašeradens, New Unity’s candidate for prime minister and a member of the Saeima, said in an interview on LETA’s podcast “Politiķi! Kas tas vispār bija?!”.
According to Ašeradens, the Baltic states currently face an electricity shortfall of approximately 20% to 30%, meaning that some of the energy they need has to be imported. This, in turn, contributes to higher electricity prices and hampers industrial development.
The politician said that one possible solution in the future could be modular, or small-scale, nuclear power plants. In his view, such projects would be better suited to the Baltic states than the construction of large-scale nuclear power plants.
Ašeradens acknowledged that implementing such solutions is currently still too expensive, but predicted that more viable technological solutions could become available over time. He also referred to assessments by his Estonian counterparts regarding the prospects for developing such projects.
At the same time, Ašeradens said that the most challenging issue in implementing nuclear energy projects could be securing public acceptance for potential locations.
According to the politician, the issue of nuclear energy will become increasingly relevant as the economy becomes more dependent on electricity, particularly due to the operation of data centres, where energy demand is growing very rapidly.
Ašeradens also noted that a large proportion of data centres serving the Baltic region are located in Helsinki because Finland has access to nuclear energy.
LETA’s podcast series “Politiķi! Kas tas vispār bija?!” interviews prime ministerial candidates from political parties that have a realistic chance of winning seats in the next Saeima.
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