23 Mar (NucNet): An International Atomic Energy Agency team has identified areas for improvement as operator Teollisuuden Voima Oyj prepares to connect the Olkiluoto-3 EPR unit to the grid in December 2018.
The Pre-Operational Safety Review Team (Pre-Osart) concluded an 18-day mission on 22 March 2018 to assess operational safety at the plant, about 280 km northwest of the capital, Helsinki.
The team said plant management should set appropriate expectations, communicate them to staff and “reinforce them in the field”.
It said the plant should improve the implementation of its foreign material exclusion programme, aimed at preventing potential damage from the introduction of residue, dirt, debris and other substances.
The team also called on TVO to improve its fire protection and prevention arrangements.
TVO has engaged a consortium of France’s Areva Germany’s Siemens to construct and commission the unit.
Pre-Osart missions aim to improve operational safety by assessing safety performance using IAEA safety standards.
The Olkiluoto-3 EPR was procured from Areva-Siemens as a fixed-price turnkey project. According to the current Areva-Siemens schedule, regular electricity production from the unit will begin in May 2019, about 10 years behind schedule.
Press report suggest the project’s costs have increased from an initial estimate of €3.2bn to around €8.5bn, although TVO said recently its total investment in the project will be €5.5bn.
