Tomorrow, after eighteen years, Europe’s largest nuclear power plant will finally go into operation. Reuters reports. Finland’s Olkiluoto 3 reactor has experienced start-up and shutdown delays in recent years but will start producing power tomorrow. This ensures power in an area that has been cut off from gas and power supplies from Russia.
Nuclear energy remains a hot topic in Europe. Mostly because of the security risks it poses. The timing of the commissioning is also quite surprising, as Germany shut down the last three remaining nuclear reactors today. On the other hand, Sweden, France and the UK are exploring options for nuclear energy.
Construction of the 1.6 GW nuclear reactor started in 2005 and was expected to be operational in 2009, but commissioning was delayed due to technical problems. It is the first new nuclear reactor in Finland in more than four decades and the first new one in Europe in sixteen years.
Technical issue
In March 2021, a test run with OL3 was already underway and energy was supplied in small steps and the intention was to start regular production in the summer of 2021. Instead there was always technical malheur, which took months.
The commissioning of the new nuclear reactor comes just in time, especially as Finland is the only Scandinavian country that has to deal with an energy shortage and electricity costs are consequently reduced.
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
