Name of the Project
Olkiluoto (OL) 3 European pressurised reactor (EPR) project.

Location
Western Finland.

Project Owner/s
Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO).

Project Description
The project involves the construction of the OL3 nuclear power plant unit, which will include an EPR adjacent to the existing OL1 and OL2 units.

OL3 will have an output of about 1 600 MW.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Capital Expenditure
The project is estimated at more than €3-billion.

Planned Start/End Date
Operations are expected to start in 2020.

Latest Developments
TVO applied to the Finnish nuclear regulator on April 8, 2020, for permission to load fuel into the reactor of the OL3 EPR. However, this process, which was scheduled for June, is likely to be delayed because of measures put in place at the plant to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

The application to the Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) includes descriptions of TVO’s readiness to start loading fuel into the reactor, as well as the work required at the site before the loading can take place.

TVO estimates that it will take a few months to obtain the permit. Once issued, preparations for the startup of the unit can start. These include the loading of fuel into the reactor's core, the closure of the pressure vessel head and the start of nuclear commissioning.

Fuel loading will not take place as planned in June. The start of regular electricity production, scheduled for March 2021, could also be delayed. The Areva–Siemens Consortium will update the schedule for the unit as soon as the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic is known. "Areva is . . . working on a plan, with support of all parties, to secure funding until the end of the project," TVO has said.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
Areva–Siemens Consortium, comprising (plant supplier).

Contact Details for Project Information
TVO +358 2 83 811.