Right on schedule, the Olkiluoto 3 consortium comprising AREVA and Siemens, today (February 1, 2005) took over the construction site for the new nuclear power plant to be built in Olkiluoto, Finland from its customer Teollisuuden Voima Oy (TVO).
The Finnish utility TVO had been responsible for extensive preparatory work on the construction site. This included excavation work for the power plant buildings, the construction of cooling-water tunnels and the implementation of infrastructure measures such as road development or provision of the site's power and water supply. Within the consortium Framatome ANP, an AREVA and Siemens company, will supply the nuclear island and Siemens Power Generation the turbine island.
Handover of the construction site to the Olkiluoto 3 consortium marks a further milestone in construction of the first European Pressurized Water Reactor (EPR). Bernard Leger, the consortium's site manager, expressed satisfaction with the progress made: “The people here are very interested in the project. Both the plant's construction and its future operation are regarded as a major opportunity for the region“. Bernard Leger, 54 years old, worked for 20 years on projects in Asia, Eastern Europe, South Africa and other countries. He has profound experience both in project and site management in the nuclear power plant sector.
On January 14, 2005, the responsible district of Eurajoki had issued the construction permit for the Olkiluoto 3 nuclear power plant. It is anticipated that the pending nuclear construction license will be issued by the Finnish government in the 1st quarter of this year. On January 24, 2005, the Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) had submitted its statement on the power plant project under the terms of the licensing process to the Ministry of Trade and Industry. STUK confirmed the enhanced safety concept of the European Pressurized Water Reactor (EPR) vis à vis predecessor product lines and has no safety-related reservations that would prevent issuance of the nuclear construction license.
2/1/2005