Finland's OL3 nuclear power reactor resumes test production (updated)

INTER RAO Lietuva AB

27/12/2022 21:46

(Adds restart of test production, detail)
       OSLO, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Finland's much-delayed
Olkiluoto 3 (OL3) nuclear reactor resumed test production of
electricity early on Wednesday after a two-month outage,
operator TVO said on its web site, in line with a schedule
published late on Tuesday.
        In a blow to Finland's energy security this winter, the
operator in October said cracks were found in the reactor's four
feedwater pumps after test production, further delaying a
startup that was originally scheduled for as long ago as 2009.
    While the damaged pumps posed no security risk, they are
essential to the reactor's power output, TVO has said.
    Test output had been scheduled to restart on Dec. 27 but was
later postponed by one day.
    TVO predicted OL3 will hit full capacity on Wednesday
followed by tests in the coming week at different output levels,
before a month-long shutdown and additional testing ahead of a
scheduled March 8 start of permanent production.
    Finland has told its citizens to prepare for possible
blackouts this winter as Europe seeks to curb energy usage,
grappling with reduced Russian gas supplies amid the Ukraine
war. 
    During testing in September, OL3's output for the first time
hit full capacity of 1,600 megawatts, making it the most
powerful electricity production facility in Europe and the
third-most powerful globally, according to TVO.
    It is Finland's first new nuclear plant in more than four
decades and Europe's first in almost 15 years, with a capacity
equal to about 14% of total Finnish electricity consumption, TVO
has said.
        Imports of power from Russia stopped in May after
Russian utility Inter RAO said it had not been paid for the
power it sold, increasing the need for OL3's output.
        Under construction since 2005, OL3 has faced several
technical mishaps, which sparked costly delays and a lengthy
legal battle.
 (Reporting by Stine Jacobsen and Terje Solsvik; Editing by
Kenneth Maxwell)
 ((terje.solsvik@thomsonreuters.com; +47 918 666 70))