29 Nov (NucNet): Regular electricity production at the Olkiluoto-3 EPR unit under construction in Finland will begin in January 2020, a delay of about four months from the previous schedule, nuclear operator Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO) said today.
TVO said it had received an updated schedule from plant supplier Areva-Siemens for the commissioning of the Generation III pressurised water reactor unit.
In October 2018, Areva-Siemens said it would update the schedule because commissioning tests were not progressing as expected.
According to the new schedule, nuclear fuel will be loaded into the reactor in June 2019, the first connection to the grid will take place in October 2019, and the start of regular electricity production will take place in January 2020. Regular electricity production was previously planned to start in September 2019.
The commissioning programme says the unit will produce 2-4 terawatt hours with varying power levels during the test programme, which will begin from the connection to the grid and will end to the beginning of regular electricity production.
Project director Jouni Silvennoinen said although the new delay is disappointing, it is important that the whole commissioning is performed with utmost care, without compromises.
Construction of the unit is nine years behind schedule. In March 2018 TVO signed an agreement with Areva-Siemens over costs and losses caused by delays to the project. The settlement included compensation of €450m to be paid in two instalments.
