Olkiluoto 3 (OL3), a nuclear power plant (NPP) unit that has been under construction in Finland for nearly 17 years, will be delayed for another three months due to foreign material issues observed in the turbine’s steam reheater, plant owner TVO reported on June 15. The setback is just the latest in a long list of project interruptions.
OL3 is an EPR (European Pressurized Water Reactor) that utilizes technology based on plants commissioned in France and Germany. The 1,600-MW unit is located at the western end of Olkiluoto island, next to OL1 and OL2, which are 890-MW units connected to the Finnish national grid in September 1978 and February 1980, respectively.
Construction officially began on Aug. 11, 2005, with the expectation that OL3 would deliver power to the grid by 2009.
Among the “main reasons for delay” noted in a presentation given by Jukka Laaksonen, director general of Finland’s Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK), in 2010, were:
Too ambitious original schedule for a plant that is first of its kind and larger than any NPP built earlier.
Inadequate completion of design and engineering work prior to start of construction.
Shortage of experienced designers [and engineers].
Lack of experience of parties in managing a large construction project.
Worldwide shortage of qualified equipment manufacturers.
OL3 may not be fully commissioned yet, and I don’t know the highest power level yet achieved, but the plant is essentially complete. Evidently they had some sort of foreign material in a steam reheater in the non-nuclear portion of the plant.
Olkiluoto 3 has been operational for several months, so I think it is inappropriate to refer to the plant as “under construction”. has been operational for several months, so I think it is inappropriate to refer to the plant as “under construction”.
LOL! Olkiluoto 3 has been operational since March 12, 2022.
Does that make it OK to be over 10 years behind schedule?
Some people keep pushing nuclear power as the answer to climate change, but nuclear power keeps failing to stay on any schedule to help mitigate climate change. No other type of power plants are so bad at meeting schedule. Nuclear power are too big, too complex and require too much engineering.