TVO added, however, that full commercial electricity production remains on schedule to begin in June 2022.
The main reason for the delay is an unplanned automatic trip that happened on 14 January. TVO said the causes of the trip were identified and corrective measures taken, but this work led to a delay in the reactor’s test production programme. The programme is now proceeding normally, TVO said.
During test production, the plant unit and its safety systems are tested to verify that operations comply with design. Commissioning tests also include planned reactor trips.
The 1,600-MW EPR, supplied by an Areva-Siemens consortium, will produce approximately 14% of Finland’s electricity once regular electricity production begins.
The plant reached first criticality on 21 December, marking the first startup of a new commercial nuclear plant in Finland in more than 40 years.
Construction of the plant, which began in August 2005, has been running about 10 years behind schedule. In August TVO confirmed the most recent delay, saying regular electricity production had been postponed for three months due to an extended turbine overhaul and inspection works.
The cost of Olkiluoto-3 was initially put at €3.2bn, but in 2012 Areva estimated the overall cost at closer to €8.5bn. Since then, it has not made public any updated cost projection. TVO told NucNet in an email it would not comment on the cost of the facility.
