More iReports you should see
Finnish nuclear plant faces fresh delay
Finnish utility Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO) said today that the start-up of its Olkiluoto-3 (OL-3) nuclear power plant may be delayed yet again – with regular electricity production possibly postponed until 2016.
TVO said it was basing its information on "recent progress reports" received from the supplier of the European pressurised water reactor (EPR) plant, the Areva-Siemens consortium.
"TVO estimated earlier that OL-3 will not be ready for regular electricity production in year 2014, as announced by the plant supplier. The company also required the supplier to update the overall schedule and provide a new confirmation for the completion date," the utility said.
"TVO is preparing for the possibility that the start of the regular electricity production of the OL-3 nuclear power plant unit may be postponed until year 2016."
TVO's senior vice-president and OL-3 project director Jouni Silvennoinen, added: "We have not yet received an adequate schedule update.
"Additionally, the instrumentation & control design has not proceeded as planned, and therefore the plant completion may be further delayed. Nevertheless, we continue to cooperate with the supplier, also in the schedule assessment."
The utility said that although it was "not pleased with the situation and repeating challenges with the project scheduling", works are proceeding at the OL-3 site.
At the reactor plant, about 75 percent of the installation works have been completed and the major components have been installed, TVO said. "At the same time, the first systems at the turbine plant have been commissioned."
TVO added: "The supplier is constructing the plant unit under a fixed-price turnkey contract and is responsible for the time schedule. TVO continues to provide support to the plant supplier to complete the project as soon as possible."
TVO said previously that it was told by Areva-Siemens in October 2008 that the start-up of OL-3 would be delayed to 2012, from its initial target date for start-up of 2009.
In December 2010, Areva-Siemens said it was keeping to a schedule which would see the unit connected to the grid in 2013, with fuel loaded in late 2012.
However, TVO announced last year that the unit would not meet a rescheduled target of starting electricity production in 2014.
Finland has four commercially operational reactors. OL-3 is scheduled to be the fifth.
TVO said it was basing its information on "recent progress reports" received from the supplier of the European pressurised water reactor (EPR) plant, the Areva-Siemens consortium.
"TVO estimated earlier that OL-3 will not be ready for regular electricity production in year 2014, as announced by the plant supplier. The company also required the supplier to update the overall schedule and provide a new confirmation for the completion date," the utility said.
"TVO is preparing for the possibility that the start of the regular electricity production of the OL-3 nuclear power plant unit may be postponed until year 2016."
TVO's senior vice-president and OL-3 project director Jouni Silvennoinen, added: "We have not yet received an adequate schedule update.
"Additionally, the instrumentation & control design has not proceeded as planned, and therefore the plant completion may be further delayed. Nevertheless, we continue to cooperate with the supplier, also in the schedule assessment."
The utility said that although it was "not pleased with the situation and repeating challenges with the project scheduling", works are proceeding at the OL-3 site.
At the reactor plant, about 75 percent of the installation works have been completed and the major components have been installed, TVO said. "At the same time, the first systems at the turbine plant have been commissioned."
TVO added: "The supplier is constructing the plant unit under a fixed-price turnkey contract and is responsible for the time schedule. TVO continues to provide support to the plant supplier to complete the project as soon as possible."
TVO said previously that it was told by Areva-Siemens in October 2008 that the start-up of OL-3 would be delayed to 2012, from its initial target date for start-up of 2009.
In December 2010, Areva-Siemens said it was keeping to a schedule which would see the unit connected to the grid in 2013, with fuel loaded in late 2012.
However, TVO announced last year that the unit would not meet a rescheduled target of starting electricity production in 2014.
Finland has four commercially operational reactors. OL-3 is scheduled to be the fifth.
- TAGS:
- breaking_news
What do you think of this story?
Select one of the options below. Your feedback will help tell CNN producers what to do with this iReport. If you'd like, you can explain your choice in the comments below.
Be and editor! Choose an option below:
iReport welcomes a lively discussion, so comments on iReports are not pre-screened before they post. See the iReport community guidelines for details about content that is not welcome on iReport.
© 2013 Cable News Network. 
Comments