Finland's Olkiluoto-3 Estimated To Start Operation In Summer 2011
Written by NucNet
Friday, 28 December 2007
NucNet News No. 264
28 Dec (NucNet): The Areva-Siemens consortium building Finland's fifth
reactor unit, Olkiluoto-3 (OL3), estimates the unit will start
operation in the summer of 2011, Finnish utility Teollisuuden Voima Oy
(TVO) announced today.
TVO said manpower at the construction site of the European Pressurised Water Reactor (EPR) had doubled since last spring and there are more than 2,600 workers on site. The turbine building has now reached its rooftop height.
Essential works are continuing through the Christmas and new year holiday period. "The manufacturing of major components is proceeding to the factory test phase and, for example in Japan, the assembly of the reactor pressure vessel has been completed," TVO added. All major buildings at the reactor plant are now under construction.
OL3 project director Martin Landtman said the consortium had informed TVO that the unit would be completed in the summer of 2011 although he noted that delays to the project will cause additional work and costs.
In August 2007, TVO confirmed that civil construction at OL3 would be "slower than originally planned" after the consortium reported that "the execution of the works, in particular the need to satisfy the safety requirements of the new plant, is more demanding than the supplier had anticipated".
Mr Landtman said today that TVO and the consortium would make every effort to have the unit completed without any concessions concerning safety or quality requirements.
Related reports in the NucNet database (available to subscribers)
New Commissioning Date Announced For Finland's Olkiluoto-3 (News No. 257, 4 December 2006)
Finnish Utility 'Disappointed' Over New Setback For Olkiluoto-3 (News No. 186, 10 August 2007)
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