News
- Construction of the Generation III+ EPR™ reactor: in Olkiluoto, the work carried out by the AREVA-Siemens consortium continues. This is the largest industrial project ever carried out in Northern Europe. There are nearly 4,000 people working on this project.
Energy plays a fundamental role in Finland's economic development. The country essentially has limited natural resources and imports 70% of its energy. Nuclear power currently accounts for slightly more than 27% of the country's electricity, thanks to 4 reactors. In May 2002, the Parliament gave its approval for the construction of a fifth nuclear reactor.
- In December 2003, AREVA and the Finnish electrical utility Teollisuuden Voima Oy (TVO) signed a contract for the construction of the fifth Finnish nuclear reactor Olkiluoto 3. TVO opted for EPR™ technology. This will make Finland the first country to operate a Generation III+ reactor.
- The construction of a sixth nuclear power plant is currently being reviewed: AREVA, who leads the EPR™ Project Team, submitted, in 2012 February, its commercial bid for the construction of a nuclear power plant at Pyhäjoki, in North Ostrobothnia, Finland.
REACTORS AND SERVICES
AREVA's participation in the Olkiluoto 3 project covers the delivery of the nuclear island and the fuel for the "first core". This service includes civil engineering, as well as various parts of the power plant, including the access building, the waste storage facility and an EPR™ simulator. As head of the consortium AREVA is coordinating the entire project, notably the technical and functional integration of the entire plant.
- 2009 was marked by significant progress made in the site works, and primarily the installation of the dome over the containment structure.
- Heavy construction of the OL3 project was completed in 2010 and all electromechanical installation activities ramped up quickly during the year, most notably with the installation of the piping, ventilation and electrical installations.
- The achievement, during automn 2011, of the heavy componant of the primary cooling system (pressurizer, steam generator, primary cooling, reactor vessel and reactor vessel head) is a major step of the OL3 EPRTM construction, now more than 80% complete.
In addition, AREVA will supply the uranium and the transformation services necessary to the fabrication of fuel during the first few years of operation.
In December 2004, AREVA also signed a contract for the modernization of the instrumentation and control systems, as well as for the monitoring and operating systems of the 2,510 MWe pressurized water reactors (PWR) at the Loviisa power plant.
AREVA, who leads the EPR™ Project Team, submitted its commercial bid for the construction of a nuclear power plant at Pyhäjoki, in North Ostrobothnia, Finland. With this commercial bid, the EPR™ Project Team’s offer is now completed, following submission of the technical bid earlier in January which is currently under evaluation by Fennovoima. The plant supplier will be selected during 2012-2013.