Finland

As of 31 December 2022

Finland has two nuclear power plants: Loviisa, a two-unit VVER-440 plant, located 80 km east of Helsinki; and Olkiluoto, about 220 km northwest of the capital, with twin BWR units and an EPR.

Construction of Olkiluoto 3 – Europe’s first EPR – commenced in May 2005 . First criticality was eventually achieved in December 2021, with first power in March 2022. Following an extended test phase – during which damage to the impellers of all four of the feedwater pumps had to be repaired – regular electricity production commenced in mid-April 2023.

In February 2023 the Finnish government approved Fortum’s operating lifetime extension request for an additional 20-year term, which would extend the operation of Loviisa 1&2 until the end of 2050. The units started up in 1977 and 1980, respectively.

A contract for Rusatom Overseas to supply a VVER-1200 reactor at Hanhikivi on the coast of Bothnian Bay, near Pyhäjoki, had been signed by the Fennovoima consortium in December 2013. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Fennovoima announced in May 2022 that it was terminating the contract. This was later ruled unlawful by the Dispute Review Board (DRB) and Fennovoima has since initiated international arbitration proceedings.

Figure Fi1. Annual electricity output (TWh) and age of reactors (years) at time of generation

Figure Fi2. Average capacity factor of reactors in Finland

Figure Fi3. Emissions avoidance through use of nuclear generation in Finland

WNN Links

Fortum permitted to operate Loviisa repository longer : World Nuclear News - 16 February 2023

Finnish EPR enters regular electricity production : World Nuclear News - 17 April 2023

First five disposal tunnels excavated at Finnish repository : World Nuclear News - 1 July 2022