Finland’s Olkiluoto 3 nuclear plant, more than a dozen years behind schedule and way over the initial budget, connected to the Finnish grid March 12.
The plant, where construction began in 2005 as a companion to two existing reactors on an island on the Gulf of Bothnia in the country’s west coast, is a pressurized water reactor designed and provided by Areva of France and Siemens of Germany. It was originally touted as being the first plant using the advanced “EPR” design, but two EPR reactors in China opened in 2018 and 2019.
The new 1600-MW unit joins two boiling water reactors at the site, which began operating in 1979 and 1982. Finland also has two Soviet designed 570-MW VVER pressurized water reactors at Loviisa, also coastal, which went into service in 1977 and 1980. Olilluoto 3 will increase Finland’s nuclear power production by about 50%, according to the World Nuclear Association. Nuclear accounts for about 14% of Finland’s electric generation.
When it connected to the grid, the plant was generating about 103-MW of power, ramping up to full capacity over a four-month period.
Going into commercial service for Finland’s TVO utility is the culmination of a long, trouble-filled journey. The plant faced repeated design problems with the new Areva design, law suits, construction delays, and cost overruns. According to Finland’s broadcaster YLE, the price tag for the new is about 11 billion Euros, or over $12 billion.
Finland, which has long had a delicate relationship with the Soviet Union and recently with Russia, has put a hold on another nuclear project, using Russian technology, according to YLE. In a report on February 25, as the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, Finland’s economic affairs minister said he was putting a hold on a plan to build a new plant on the Hanhikivi peninsula using a 1,200-MW updated VVER design by Russia’s Rosatom.
Mika Lintila, during parliamentary debate over the Russian invasion, said he will put a hold on a building permit for the project. YLE reported, he said, “It’s quite clear that as a consequence of this conflict this project will at least be significantly delayed.” Finland, which directly borders Russia, is not a member of NATO (nor is Sweden), but Russia’s aggressive moves have prompted a rethinking in Helsinki.
–Kennedy Maize
(kenmaize@gmail.com)