Swedish uprates postponed

24 November 2010

Power uprates planned for two reactors at Sweden's Forsmark nuclear power plant have been postponed, operator Forsmark Power Group has announced. Forsmark units 1 and 3 had been scheduled for power uprates in 2011 and 2014, respectively. The work is to be postponed to allow time to develop a solution for issues with high-pressure turbine control valves that caused problems during similar work at Forsmark unit 2 earlier this year. There is also some uncertainty as to when the site's power grid can be modified to accept the increased output from unit 1. According to a Vattenfall press release, the postponement of the uprate of Forsmark 1 and the problems encountered at Forsmark 2 mean there is insufficient time to prepare for Forsmark 3 to be uprated by 2014. Other aspects of modernisation work will still be carried out as planned in 2011, and decisions on the future timetable for the uprates will be made during 2011 for Forsmark 1 and 2013 for Forsmark 3. Forsmark 2 returned to service on 4 November, when the three-unit power plant reached full power for the first time since January 2010.