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
Grid connection is scheduled for October 2021, with regular electricity production due to start in February 2022.

Completion of the reactor was originally scheduled for 2009, but the project has had various delays and setbacks.

Latest Developments
Fuel loading at the Olkiluoto 3 EPR will not take place until March next year, according to a revised schedule provided to Finnish utility TVO by the Areva-Siemens Consortium.

TVO has said that issues that have caused delays in the project schedule include: the slow system testing; technical problems that have been identified in tests; and the increase in the amount of maintenance work caused by project delays.

The lack of necessary spare parts has also caused delays. However, technical problems that have emerged on the plant unit have now been resolved, and the repair works are ongoing.

Technical problems have related to seawater system equipment; cracks in the pressuriser safety valves' spring-loaded pilot control valves; faulty components in emergency diesel generators and the pressuriser surge line vibration problem. Faulty cable insulation has been detected in certain automation cabinets and these will be repaired in the second half of 2020.

Owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, works on the OL3 construction site have continued under special arrangements and TVO is getting ready for fuel loading on OL3.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
Areva–Siemens Consortium, comprising Areva GmbH, Areva NP SAS and Siemens AG (plant supplier).

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