Finland finally turns on a long-delayed nuclear reactor

Finland finally turns on a long-delayed The Olkiluoto 3 nuclear reactor. Image Credit.

Finland's long-awaited and expensive new nuclear reactor went online on Saturday, boosting the Nordic country's power self-sufficiency and assisting in the country's carbon neutrality goals.

The Olkiluoto 3 nuclear reactor in Finland's west has begun producing electricity to the national power grid, according to operator Teollisuuden Voima.

This has been waited for – more Finnish electricity production! The Olkiluoto 3 EPR plant unit’s electricity production has started today on Saturday 12 March 2022 at 12.01 p.m.

Read more: https://t.co/KgG1m122Mm#OL3connected #OL3 #FinlandsGreatestClimateAct #nuclear #energy pic.twitter.com/xFQjdZu36R

— Teollisuuden Voima (@tvo_fi) March 12, 2022

It will go through a four-month trial period during which it will generate electricity at a quarter of its full capacity of 1,600 megawatts.

According to Teollisuuden Voima, the reactor will achieve peak capacity in July, covering an estimated 14% of Finland's total electricity demand, reducing the country's reliance on electricity imported from Norway, Russia, and Sweden.

In Finland, the last time a new nuclear reactor was commissioned was more than 40 years ago. The Olkiluoto 3 is one of the first new reactors in Western Europe in over a decade.

The Olkiluoto 3 is a third-generation European-type pressurized water plant that was designed and built by a joint venture between Areva and Siemens in France. The project started in 2005 and was supposed to be finished four years later. However, the project was beset by a slew of technical issues that resulted in lawsuits.

Late last year, the Finnish state broadcaster YLE reported that the reactor's ultimate cost was anticipated to be over 11 billion euros ($12 billion), nearly three times higher than the initial estimate.

Finland today has five nuclear reactors spread over two power stations on the Baltic Sea's coastlines. They cover more than 40% of Finland's electricity consumption when combined.

Source: AP