New backup generators for Olkiluoto
08 May 2013
Nine new backup generators will be delivered to the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant in what owners TVO are describing as the largest ever individual modification of the plant. These are to be supplied and installed by Wärtsilä over the period 2016 to 2020.
There are two operating boiling water reactors at Olkiluoto with nameplate capacities of 880 MWe. They each require four backup generators to provide power to safety and auxiliary systems when the units are shut down and without offsite power. The ninth generator in the order will allow the replacement work to be carried out during normal operations and will later offer an additional source of emergency power.
The current backup generators are part of the plant's original equipment and have been in service for over 30 years. TVO noted that there have been no problems with these, but that the modification is part of the utility's commitment to "continuous improvement". The new generators, Wärtsilä 32 engines, run on light fuel oil and will feature radiator cooling in addition to seawater cooling - providing an extra level of robustness.
President of Wärtsilä, Vesa Riihimäki, called the contract "siginificant". He said, "The critical requirement is for fast-starting capability with sufficient power and excellent reliability, in accordance with the stringent standards and regulations for emergency generating sets."
Researched and written
by World Nuclear News