Hanhikivi Nuke plant’s operation deferred to 2028

Commercial operation of the controversial Hanhikivi 1 nuclear power plant of Fennovoima at Pyhäjoki in northern Ostrobothnia will be deferred by four years to 2028.

The project has received a new schedule estimation from the plant supplier RAOS, which said that the goal to receive the construction licence and to start the construction of the plant has been rescheduled in 2021.

The commercial operation of the plant would begin in 2028, said Fennovoima power consortium in a recent press release.

Fennovoima and the plant supplier have begun developing an overall project schedule based on the received information. This process is estimated to be completed in the first quarter of 2019.

The construction licence for the nuclear power plant is granted by the government. A prerequisite to obtaining the licence is a favourable safety assessment from the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority STUK.

Fennovoima is currently providing STUK with the nuclear power plant’s design documentation for assessment.

The plant supplier is responsible for the preparation of the design documentation needed for the construction licence and for its delivery to Fennovoima.

After completion, Fennovoima’s Hanhikivi 1 plant will generate climate-friendly electricity for decades: the lifetime of the power plant is a minimum of 60 years.

The Hanhikivi 1 power plant will improve Finland’s energy self-sufficiency, help the country meet climate targets, and reduce its dependence on imports far into the future.

When completed, Hanhikivi 1 will produce about 9 TWh of zero-emission electricity per year. In 2016, electricity consumption in Finland amounted to approximately 85 TWh.

The Finnish government approved the controversial Russian-built Fennovoima nuclear plant in mid September 2014. The Vihreä Liito (Green League) on September 18, 2014 resigned from the then five-party ruling alliance following the government’s decision to approve the Fennovoima nuclear power plant in Pyhäjoki.