nuclear-news

Damage to feedwater pumps delays the operation of Finland’s massive new Olkiluoto nuclear reactor.

 Damage has been detected in the feedwater pumps of Finland’s Olkiluoto 3
(OL3) nuclear reactor during maintenance work, which will likely delay the
commissioning of the plant and the startup of regular production, operator
TVO said on Tuesday.

The damage to Europe’s largest nuclear reactor is a
setback for Finland, where the national grid operator has warned of
potential power blackouts in the coming winter if OL3 could not reliably
supply electricity.

Imports of power to Finland from Russia stopped in May
after Russian utility Inter RAO said it had not been paid for the power it
sold, increasing Finland’s need for OL3’s output.

Under construction since
2005, OL3 was originally meant to start operation in 2009, but has faced
several technical mishaps, which sparked costly delays and a lengthy legal
battle. TVO said the latest problem had occurred in pumps located in the
so-called turbine island at the heart of the nuclear reactor’s power
production, where water from its feedwater tank is pumped into steam
generators.

 Reuters 18th Oct 2022

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/finlands-ol3-nuclear-reactor-risks-more-delay-after-damage-found-2022-10-18/

October 19, 2022 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Finland, safety