OL3 will start up in 2013

15 June 2010


Finland's TVO is now expecting commercial operation of the third reactor at the Olkiluoto site to start operating in 2013 after receiving an update from the Areva-Siemens construction consortium.

Areva and Siemens, which are building the Olkiluoto 3 (OL3) plant on a turnkey basis, have informed TVO that fuel loading will begin at the end of 2012. This means that commercial operation will begin in 2013, says TVO.

“The supplier has informed us that most of the works will be completed by the end of 2012,” said TVO CEO Jarmo Tanhua. “However, commissioning will take months, which means Olkiluoto 3 will start producing electricity only in 2013.”

OL3 is the first in the world to feature the European Pressurized Water Reactor (EPR), a Generation III+ reactor, but has been dogged by delays. Areva and Siemens say that the delays are largely due to TVO's document handling and approval process, but TVO maintains that the consortium is responsible for the project schedule.

In its latest update on June 7, 2010, the Areva-Siemens consortium said that the main civil works are complete and almost all the buildings fully closed and weatherproofed. It also said that, “piping installation is now in progress” and that “installation of the main components such as the reactor pressure vessel will begin in the coming days”.

In late 2008 the Areva-Siemens consortium initiated arbitration proceedings over the delays and related costs surrounding the project. In January 2009 it said that it would complete the project in June 2012.

“TVO continues to cooperate with the supplier to support efficient and smooth progress of component installation and preparations for plant commissioning,” said Tanhua. “We will not, however, compromise any safety or quality requirements.”




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