The working group said reform is supported by the fact that reducing emissions and combating climate change have become key targets in energy and climate policy.
It said there is “room for improvement” in the permit system covering the life cycle of nuclear facilities. At the beginning of the permitting process matters should be dealt with at a general level and detailed processing should take place at a later stage. It should be easier to anticipate the outcome of various permitting matters by means of prior approvals and overlapping processes should be reduced, the working group said.
It also called for the licencing process for decommissioning a nuclear facility to be reformed.
The ministry appointed the working group last October to examine the need to amend the country’s Nuclear Energy Act. The group submitted its final report to Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintilä on 27 August.
According to International Atomic Energy agency statistics, Finland has four commercial nuclear power reactors which in 2019 provided about 34% of its electricity generation. One reactor, the Olkiluoto-3 EPR, is officially listed as under construction while work continues on plans for a Russia suppled unit at Hanhikivi.
