Finland, which is currently building its fifth nuclear reactor, needs at most to build one more reactor in the next decade, Finland's economy minister told a Finnish newspaper Monday.
"I don't want to forecast the decision in the autumn, but we need zero, or at most one, new nuclear reactor," Economy Minister Mauri Pekkarinen told daily Hufvudstadsbladet.
Three utility groups - Fortum, Teollisuuden Voima (TVO) and Fennovoima - have submitted applications to the government to build a new nuclear reactor in the Nordic country.
The government had refused to disclose whether one or several nuclear reactors need to be built and whether it would accept one or several applications.
The employment and economy ministry, responsible for energy matters, is expected to start processing the applications this spring, after which the government will make its decision.
The Finnish parliament also has to approve the plan.
Pekkarinen said calculations showed that Finland would need to build new energy capacity for around 28 terawatt hours by 2020.
However, he said this could possibly be achieved with the fifth nuclear reactor currently under construction in the southwestern town of Olkiluoto and by increasing the use of renewable energies such as wind and hydroelectric power.