An agreement with Westinghouse Electric Company for the design, licensing, and supply of a new fuel type was signed by Finland’s state-owned (51%) energy company Fortum.
The two Russian-built reactors on the country’s south coast in Loviisa came into use in 1977 and 1980 with an electricity production share of around 10%.
The operator, Fortum, is tied to the fuel agreement with Russian nuclear power company TVEL for the duration of their operating licences, which will expire in 2027 and 2030. Until then, and after regulatory approvals, the new fuel from the US will be used with Russian-supplied fuel.
“The new and parallel fuel supplier will diversify our fuel strategy, improve the security of supply and ensure reliable electricity production at the Loviisa power plant also in the future,” said Sasu Valkamo, vice-president for the Loviisa nuclear power plant in the company press release.
This spring, Fortum applied for a new operating licence for its Loviisa power plant units until 2050. According to the company, a tendering process will also be arranged for fuel supply for the new operating licence period.
Finland has four functioning nuclear power plants producing about 30% of the needed electricity.
The fifth reactor, Olkiluoto3, has been in the making for decades and has been riddled with recurring problems. The plant should be able to start fully operating sometime early next year if those problems are solved, as announced on Tuesday. The Rosatom-led Hanhikivi1 project was terminated following Russia’s attack on Ukraine.
(Pekka Vänttinen | EURACTIV.com)
Source: euractiv.com
