Olkiluoto EPR on schedule for 2012 completion

30 November 2010

Areva has confirmed that construction of the third unit at Finland’s Olkiluoto nuclear power plant remains on its previously announced schedule. Denying media reports that the EPR unit was experiencing further delays, Areva said that construction of the unit will officially end in late 2012 when the first fuel is loaded. A series of tests will then be conducted as the reactor is powered up. Olkiluoto 3 will be connected to the grid in 2013, as previously announced in June 2010, Areva stated. On 26 November, plant owner Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO) said that the Areva-Siemens supplier consortium building the new reactor had indicated that commissioning “will take eight months, which means regular operation will start during the latter half of 2013.” The original fixed-price contract for the unit was signed by TVO and the Areva-Siemens consortium in December 2003. Work began on the 1600 MWe EPR in 2005, but various delays have seen the start-up date pushed back from the original schedule which would have seen it begin operating in 2009.