Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO) has initiated an environmental impact assessment procedure (EIA) concerning the possible operating licence extension and potential power uprating of the Olkiluoto 1 (OL1) and Olkiluoto 2 (OL2) plant units. At the moment, the plant units are licensed until 2038.
Olkiluoto has been generating electricity for more than four decades. OL1 was commissioned in 1978, followed by its sister plant OL2 two years later. Olkiluoto nuclear power plant is now analysing the possibility to extend the operating licences by at least 10 years.
Finnish electricity needs are forecast to grow significantly with the clean transition. There is increasing demand for clean electricity produced in Finland. Nuclear power can be used to generate clean electricity all year long, regardless of the weather.
– Extending the lifespan would support domestic year-round and weather-independent electricity production as well as Finland’s and Europe’s climate goals, says Marjo Mustonen, TVO’s Director of Electricity Production.
The plant units have been modernised throughout their service lives by means of annual maintenance and major investments, which means that they remain in excellent operational condition. Approximately 50 million euros are invested annually in OL1 and OL2.
The investments have also enabled power increases in the plant units. Originally operating at a power output of 660 MW, the plant units are now generating electricity for the national grid at a nominal power level of 890 MW.
In addition to the operating licence extension, TVO has also looked at opportunities to uprate the power of the plant units. An uprating of 80 MW is being investigated for both plant units, bringing power levels from 890 MW to approximately 970 MW. This would mean an annual production increase of 1.2 TWh, roughly equivalent to the annual consumption in a city the size of Jyväskylä or Kuopio.
Decisions regarding the future will be made after the completion of the EIA report.
Source: TVO