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Successful start to trial run at Finnish repository

Friday, 13 September 2024

The first stage of the trial run of placing disposal cannisters in the Onkalo used nuclear fuel repository has been completed successfully, Finnish waste management company Posiva has announced.



The transfer cannister in the reception hall of the encapsulation facility (Image: Posiva)
At the repository, used fuel will be placed in the bedrock, at a depth of about 430 metres. The disposal system consists of a tightly sealed iron-copper canister, a bentonite buffer enclosing the canister, a tunnel backfilling material made of swellable clay, the seal structures of the tunnels and premises, and the enclosing rock.
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Trial run at Finnish repository starts

30 August 2024

Finnish waste management company Posiva announced it has begun a trial run of placing disposal cannisters in the Onkalo used nuclear fuel repository. No actual nuclear fuel is being used in the trial run.


The Onkalo facility with the Olkiluoto plant in the background (Image: Posiva)

At the repository, used fuel will be placed in the bedrock, at a depth of about 430 metres. The disposal system consists of a tightly sealed iron-copper canister, a bentonite buffer enclosing the canister, a tunnel backfilling material made of swellable clay, the seal structures of the tunnels and premises, and the enclosing rock.

In the trial run - expected to take several months - the operation of the final disposal facility will be tested comprehensively, albeit still without the used fuel. Four cannisters will be deposited in holes which are eight metres deep and located in a 70-metres long final disposal tunnel. The final disposal tunnel will then be filled with bentonite clay and sealed with a concrete plug. The trial run also covers the retrieval of a damaged cannister back above ground.

Posiva noted that the equipment and systems of the final disposal facility will be tested together for the first time in accordance with planned processes during the trial run stage. It said the purpose of the trial run is to "verify safe final disposal before the start of the actual final disposal operation". The company added that the trial run can be described as "a joint functional test of all the systems and equipment".

"Posiva has come a long way to reach this point," the company's Production Director Karri Osara said. "The trial run of final disposal is not only an excellent opportunity for learning and development, but also an extremely demanding showcase of the capabilities of our organisation."

Posiva President and CEO Ilkka Poikolainen added: "Posiva's operation now takes a significant step toward the start of the actual final disposal operation. This is a momentous occasion also to our employees and cooperation partners."

The site for Posiva's repository at Eurajoki, near the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant, was selected in 2000. The Finnish parliament approved the decision-in-principle on the repository project the following year. Posiva - jointly owned by Finnish nuclear utilities Fortum and TVO - submitted its construction licence application to the Ministry of Employment and the Economy in December 2013. Posiva studied the rock at Olkiluoto and prepared its licence application using results from the Onkalo underground laboratory, which will be expanded to form the basis of the repository. The government granted a construction licence for the project in November 2015 and construction work on the repository started a year later.

Posiva submitted its application, together with related information, to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment on 30 December 2021 for an operating licence for the used fuel encapsulation plant and final disposal facility. The repository is expected to begin operations in the mid-2020s. Posiva has applied for an operating licence for a period from March 2024 to the end of 2070.

The government will make the final decision on Posiva's application, but a positive opinion by Finland's Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) is required beforehand. The regulator began its review in May 2022 after concluding Posiva had provided sufficient material. The ministry had requested STUK's opinion on the application by the end of 2023.

However, in January this year, STUK requested the deadline for its opinion on Posiva's operating licence application be extended until the end of 2024.

La Finlande relance son programme pour l’éolien en mer
Le gouvernement finlandais a publié un plan d’action pour le déploiement de l’éolien en mer. Il prévoit l’adoption d’une loi au début de l’année 2025 et le premier appel d’offres à la fin de cette même année.


Après avoir rejeté en mai les demandes d’autorisation d’exploitation pour des parcs éoliens en mer dans sa zone économique exclusive, la Finlande prévoit un premier appel d’offres à la fin de l’année 2025. | JAN DE NUL

Loïc FABRÈGUES. 27 aout 2024 Le marin

Du pain sur la planche. La Finlande vient de lister, dans un plan d’action, les mesures à mettre en œuvre pour assurer l’essor de l’éolien en mer dans le pays. Pas moins de 17 propositions y ont été consignées par le groupe de travail, en charge de mener à bien la réflexion par le gouvernement finlandais. Le constat global est qu’il faut donner des objectifs clairs et à long terme pour l’éolien offshore, améliorer la coordination nationale et garantir que la... abonnés

China Admits Its Ship Damaged Baltic Natural Gas Pipeline by Accident

By Charles Kennedy - Aug 12, 2024

A Hong Kong-flagged container ship owned by a China mainland firm damaged a natural gas pipeline between Estonia and Finland in the Baltic Sea last autumn, but it was all by accident, Chinese authorities have told the two EU member states, according to sources cited by South China Morning Post.

In October 2023, the Balticconnector pipeline between Estonia and Finland in the Baltic Sea was damaged. Initial investigations zoomed in on suspected sabotage, with the Nord Steam pipeline sabotage from the prior year still fresh in prosecutors’ offices across the EU.
A Chinese ship was implicated in the incident, with the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) saying it believes the damage was caused by “an external force” that was “mechanical, not an explosion” and later revealed that a large anchor – believed to belong to the 169-meter-long ship – was found near the pipeline and likely broke off as it was dragged across the sea floor.

The offshore Balticconnector pipeline that transports natural gas between Finland to Estonia was shut down because of a suspected leak that occurred in the early hours of October 8, 2023. The pipeline carries natural gas from Finland, where there is an LNG import terminal, to Estonia.

Following the Balticconnector pipeline incident, Finland restricted access to parts of its LNG import terminal at the Inkoo port, while Norway beefed up security at its key oil and gas installations.

Now the Chinese admit it was the China-owned Hong Kong-flagged ship that damaged the pipeline, but it was all by accident that was the result of a strong storm in the Baltic Sea, according to an internal investigation conducted by the Chinese authorities and reported by South China Morning Post. This report, however, is not admissible as official evidence, the publication noted.
Estonia and Finland continue their joint investigation into the pipeline damage focusing on the Chinese ship, and have urged China to respond to requests for information on the implicated vessel.

Balticconnector returned to service six months after the incident, in April 2024, after repair work and tests were carried out.

La Finlande compte sur le nucléaire pour décarboner ses réseaux de chaleur urbains

Peu disposée à persévérer dans le nucléaire il y a encore une quinzaine d’années, la Finlande est en train de faire machine arrière et envisage d’avoir recours à l’atome pour alimenter ses nombreux réseaux de chaleur urbains grâce à un type de réacteur nucléaire dédié de seulement 50 MWth.

28 Juil 2024 Kevin CHAMPEAU

En Finlande, on croit au nucléaire pour décarboner les réseaux de chauffage omniprésents dans le pays scandinave. Preuve de cet engouement pour l’atome, le développeur de petits réacteurs modulaires (SMR) Steady Energy vient de signer un partenariat avec Kuopion Energia, une entreprise chargée de la production d’énergie, du chauffage et du refroidissement urbain de la ville de Kuopion. Ce partenariat porte sur la mise en place de 5 SMR d’une puissance de 50 MWth à partir de 2030 pour la ville et ses environs.
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Uranium recovery starts at Finnish mine

19 June 2024

Finnish mining company Terrafame has begun recovering natural uranium as a by-product of zinc and nickel production at its Sotkamo mine in Talvivaara in the north-east of the country.

Following inspections at the uranium recovery plant and a review of written materials submitted by Terrafame, Finland's Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) issued a decision on 17 June stating that the safety requirements set for the use of the facility will be met if the documented procedures are followed. That decision cleared the way for Terrafame to commission the facility.

"With the start of operations, Finland is the only European Union member state that produces uranium," Terrafame noted.

The Sotkamo mine's previous owner, Talvivaara Mining Company, had planned to produce uranium at the site and constructed a uranium extraction plant before being declared bankrupt in 2014. The company was subsequently purchased by Terrafame, which is 70%-owned by Finnish Minerals Group, a special-purpose company wholly owned by the State of Finland.

Terrafame submitted its application for large-scale recovery of uranium to the Ministry of Employment and Economic Affairs in October 2017, already having the necessary chemicals permit and environmental permit. The government granted this permit in February 2020. The decision was deemed legally valid under a ruling made by the Supreme Administrative Court of Finland in June 2021.

In December 2017, STUK granted the company permission to recover a small quantity of uranium while experimenting with chemical processes it will use in an actual uranium recovery plant. Under that permit, the company could produce up to 600 litres of process solution containing a maximum of 6 kg of uranium.

Terrafame said its production process enables the low concentration of natural uranium found in the ore to be used as a by-product. The uranium recovered will be transported abroad for further processing, after which it will be used in nuclear fuel.

After the start-up phase, the recovery plant is estimated to operate at full capacity by 2026, when it is expected to produce about 200 tonnes of uranium per year. Terrafame noted that this production capacity corresponds to about nine months of consumption at Finland's Olkiluoto 3 EPR in Finland. It said the plan is to continue uranium production alongside the production of other metals throughout the operating period, which covers at least the next 30 years.

After the ramp-up phase, the recovery of uranium will increase Terrafame's annual net sales by approximately EUR30–40 million (USD32-43 million), based on the current market price of uranium, accounting for a few percent of the company's estimated net sales in the coming years.

"The utilisation of natural uranium in energy production helps in achieving climate goals and building Europe's energy self-sufficiency," said Terrafame CEO Seppo Voutilainen. "Thanks to our modern production process, we can recover even more metals cost-effectively."

Construction of Finnish pilot SMR plant to start in 2025

06 June 2024

Steady Energy said it is set to start construction of its first LDR-50 district heating reactor pilot plant in Finland next year, with potential sites including the Finnish capital Helsinki and two other cities.
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Contract for refurbishment of Loviisa turbines

31 May 2024

Finnish utility Fortum has awarded a contract to Doosan Škoda Power to modernise the low-pressure turbines at its Loviisa nuclear power plant as part of lifetime extension-related investments. The modernisation of the turbines will also increase the total capacity of the Loviisa power plant by about 38 MWe.


The Loviisa plant (Image: Fortum)

The Loviisa plant - comprising two VVER-440 type pressurised water reactors - was the first nuclear power plant in Finland and currently provides more than 10% of the country's electricity. Loviisa unit 1 began commercial operation in 1977, with unit 2 following in 1981. In February 2023, the Finnish government granted Fortum an extension to the operating licence for the two-units, allowing the Loviisa plant to continue generating power until the end of 2050.

The modernisation of the low-pressure turbines will start in 2026 and will be carried out in conjunction with the normal annual outages. The project will involve the replacement of eight low-pressure turbine housings and their internal parts. The project will significantly improve the efficiency of the turbine plant's electricity production without increasing the thermal output of the reactor.

It will result in an increase in the total capacity of the plant of about 38 MWe from the plant's current capacity of 1014 MWe and will raise the expected generation from plant over the course of the new licence period from 170 TWh to 177 TWh.

"Extending the lifetime of the power plant is a major investment with a positive impact - both economically and in terms of employment," said Sasu Valkamo, senior vice president of the Loviisa plant. "Modernising the low-pressure turbines is our first significant investment in preparation for the lifetime extension. Our aim is for the power plant to operate during the new operating licence period just as stably, reliably and safely as it has so far.

"Doosan Škoda Power is a seasoned turbine supplier, and we have good experiences working with them. In our previous modernisation project, Doosan Škoda Power also supplied us with high-pressure turbines."

"Fortum is our long-term customer and we are very proud to be part of this new important modernisation project at the Loviisa nuclear power plant," added Radek Trněný, Head of Sales Nuclear at Doosan Škoda Power, a Czech subsidiary of South Korea's Doosan Group. "Nuclear power is a strategic segment for us, and this contract is further confirmation that we are on the right track."

Over the past five years, Fortum has invested some EUR200 million (USD217 million) in refurbishing the Loviisa plant. The company estimates that investments related to the continuation of operations and the lifetime extension will amount to approximately EUR1 billion by 2050.

Premier rechargement en combustible pour l’EPR finlandais

Publié le 23 mai 2024 sfen

L’EPR finlandais a été reconnecté au réseau le 16 mai après avoir achevé son premier arrêt de tranche. L’opérateur TVO a mené de nombreux travaux de contrôle et de maintenance ainsi que le premier rechargement en combustible.

L’exploitant finlandais Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO) a annoncé la reconnexion au réseau électrique de la troisième unité de la centrale d’Olkiluoto le 16 mai 2024. Un arrêt de tranche long de 74 jours durant lesquels ont été menés le premier rechargement en combustible et de nombreuses opérations de maintenance, de tests, de contrôles, etc.

Ce premier arrêt de tranche « a fourni des connaissances précieuses sur la durée d’un certain nombre d’activités de maintenance » témoigne Marjo Mustonen, Senior Vice President à la production électrique (TVO) qui a tenu a rappeler[1] que c’était la première fois que TVO et ses partenaires réalisaient de telles opération. « Les futurs arrêts bénéficieront des données que nous avons collectées et de l’expérience acquise. La coopération avec les fournisseurs est l’un des domaines où nous avons notamment beaucoup appris », a-t-elle précisé.

La durée de l’arrêt de tranche ayant initialement été annoncée à 37 jours, Marjo Mustonen a annoncé que TVO allait mener une auto-évaluation pour identifier les lacunes de ce premier arrêt et ainsi gagner en efficacité. Pour rappel, OL3 a été connecté au réseau en mars 2022 et a produit 10,37 TWh en 2023 soit environ 15 % de la production électrique du pays.■

Le gazoduc Balticconnector a été remis en service en mer Baltique
Endommagé en octobre par l’ancre d’un navire, le pipeline Balticconnector, qui rejoint la Finlande et l’Estonie, a repris son activité après avoir été réparé pour 35 millions d’euros. L’enquête sur l’incident se poursuit.


Le gazoduc bidirectionnel Balticconnector relie Paldiski, en Estonie, à Inkoo, en Finlande, sur près de 80 km. | ENTSOG
Le marin

Publié le 29/04/2024 Carole LANZI. le Marin

Les activités commerciales du gazoduc Balticconnector reliant la Finlande et l’Estonie ont repris le 22 avril, a annoncé le gestionnaire du réseau de transport de gaz finlandais, Gasgrid Finland.

Une dizaine d’entreprises ont participé à la réparation du pipeline, qui avait été endommagé en octobre dernier par l’ancre d’un porte-conteneurs chinois, a précisé son homologue estonien, Elering. Les travaux ont été réalisés par environ 60 m de profondeur d’eau via des équipements téléguidés, sans plongeurs. D’un coût d’environ 35 millions... abonnés

Steady Energy - Finnish developer of the LDR-50 small modular reactor - has signed a collaboration agreement with TVO Nuclear Services related to the development of a nuclear heating plant, initially focusing on the planning of the nuclear facility's operation and safety.

11 April 2024


The LDR-50 reactor design (Image: Steady Energy)

TVO Nuclear Services (TVONS) is a consulting company wholly owned by Finnish utility Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO), owner of the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant.

The agreement gives Steady Energy access to TVO's expertise in the planning and implementation of nuclear power plant projects as well as the operation, maintenance and service life management of the plants.

Steady Energy - which last year was spun out from the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland - aims to construct the first of several district heating plants based on its LDR-50 small modular reactor (SMR) technology in Finland by 2030.

"Steady Energy is working on a very interesting project, and we are glad to be involved by offering our expertise in its various areas," said TVONS Managing Director Ari Leppänen. "This allows us to participate in the clean transition also through small modular reactor projects."

"The collaboration agreement with TVONS is a significant opportunity for Steady Energy," said Steady Energy CEO Tommi Nyman. "It will further strengthen our ability to develop and, in time, to construct a small nuclear power plant that is completely based on Finnish design. The agreement also sends a strong message that Steady Energy's project is important for the development of the entire Finnish nuclear energy industry."

The LDR-50 district heating SMR - with a thermal output of 50 MW - has been under development at VTT since 2020. Designed to operate at around 150°C and below 10 bar (145 psi), Steady Energy says its "operating conditions are less demanding compared with those of traditional reactors, simplifying the technical solutions needed to meet the high safety standards of the nuclear industry".

The LDR-50 reactor module is made of two nested pressure vessels, with their intermediate space partially filled with water. When heat removal through the primary heat exchangers is compromised, water in the intermediate space begins to boil, forming an efficient passive heat transfer route into the reactor pool, the company said. The system does not rely on electricity or any mechanical moving parts, which could fail and prevent the cooling function.

Saisies en Russie: le finlandais Fortum demande une indemnisation

AFP le 27 févr. 2024

Le producteur d'énergie finlandais Fortum a annoncé mardi engager une procédure d'arbitrage pour obtenir de Moscou une indemnisation après la prise de contrôle forcée de sa filiale en Russie.

"Fortum a engagé une procédure d'arbitrage contre la Fédération de Russie et demandera une indemnisation pour la saisie illégale de ses actifs afin de protéger sa position juridique et les intérêts de ses actionnaires", a indiqué le groupe dans un communiqué.

Cette procédure "fait suite aux violations par la Russie de ses obligations en matière de traités d'investissement dans le cadre des traités bilatéraux d'investissement que la Russie a conclus avec les Pays-Bas et la Suède", a ajouté Fortum.

Le géant finlandais avait annoncé en avril que le PDG de sa filiale russe avait été évincé au lendemain de la signature par Vladimir Poutine d'un décret approuvant la prise de contrôle forcée de ses activités sur place, ainsi que celles de l'allemand Uniper.

Le groupe avait ensuite annoncé en mai 2023 avoir passé des provisions pour effacer la valeur totale de ses investissements dans sa filiale, dans lequel il avait investi environ six milliards d'euros.

Fortum "cherchera à obtenir une compensation pour la valeur de ses actions dans PAO Fortum et de ses investissements en Russie, qui s'élèvent à plusieurs milliards d'euros", a-t-il précisé mardi.

Dans un courriel adressé à l'AFP, la porte-parole de Fortum Maiju Daniel-Huhtaniska a expliqué que "pour l'instant, le siège juridique dans lequel les arbitrages se tiendraient n'a pas encore été décidé".

Oulu Energy plans 100MW hydrogen plant in Finland

By NS Energy Staff Writer 15 Feb 2024

When completed, the plant would be a big step towards clean energy production and thus a natural part of Oulu Energy’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030

Oulu Energy is planning to build a 100 megawatts (MW) hydrogen production plant in Oulu, northern Finland. When completed, the plant would be a big step towards clean energy production and thus a natural part of Oulu Energy’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030. Partner for the project planning is the Finnish P2X Solutions, which is currently constructing a hydrogen production plant in Harjavalta, western Finland.

According to the preliminary plan, the whole project planned in Laanila industrial area, would include an electrolysis plant with a capacity of up to 100 MW, a carbon capture plant, a hydrogen and carbon dioxide storage, and a further processing plant whose final product could be methane or methanol, for example.

This will be Oulu Energy’s first hydrogen project and significant even on the scale of Europe. The project will increase the vitality of the Oulu region and the development opportunities for industry as well as create new businesses and jobs.

The project will contribute to the transition towards cleaner energy production
The products created by the hydrogen plant could be used to replace fossil fuels in road, maritime and air transport. According to the preliminary estimate, approximately 200–400 gigawatt hours (GWh) of heat energy per year would be created as a by-product, which could be transferred to the district heating network, while the oxygen could be recovered for industrial use.

“The heat energy gained would correspond to approximately 10–30 per cent of Oulu’s annual district heating demand. This would enable us to produce heat in an environmentally friendly manner and improve the competitiveness of district heating,” says Kimmo Alatulkkila, development director at Oulu Energy.

In addition, the project aims to investigate the possibilities of recovering the biogenic flue gases from local industry and power plants in the further processing of hydrogen.

The project development phase begins in the competent hands of P2X Solutions
The project development phase now being launched is led by P2X Solutions Ltd, a Finnish pioneer in green hydrogen and Power-to-X technology. The company is currently constructing Finland’s first industrial-scale green hydrogen and synthetic methane production plant in Harjavalta in western Finland.

“Oulu Energy is a pioneer in sustainable energy production in northern Finland. It is great to be able to advance a joint project that shows that green hydrogen can also be a solution for cutting emissions from heat production. When completed, the capacity of the Oulu hydrogen plant would be up to 100 megawatts, which makes it very significant also on the scale of Finland. For P2X Solutions, the project would mean a significant scaling up of operations from our facilities in Harjavalta and Joensuu,” says Herkko Plit, CEO of P2X Solutions.

In the project development phase, the feasibility of the plant and location options are examined, and an impact assessment is carried out. The investment decision is estimated to be made in autumn 2025, and the plant could be ready by 2028 at the earliest.

Vestas is awarded a 186 MW wind power project in Finland

December 15, 2023 evwind

Vestas has received a firm order from Ilmatar, a Nordic energy company and independent power producer (IPP), for the Pahkakoski wind farm in the municipality of Ii, located 60 kilometers from the city of Oulu, Finland.

The order consists of 30 V162-6.2 MW wind turbines and includes the supply, delivery and commissioning of the wind turbines. Upon completion, Vestas will service the turbines under a 30-year Active Output Management 5000 (AOM 5000) service agreement designed to ensure optimized performance of the assets.
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Delivery of the wind turbines is expected to begin in the third quarter of 2024 and commissioning is planned for the second quarter of 2025.

Finland to auction five offshore wind energy sites

November 23, 2023 evwind

Finland will launch an auction for five offshore wind power sites with up to 500 wind turbines in Finland’s public water areas.

“The total area of the five offshore wind energy sites that will be included in the auction procedure is about 860 km2 and their maximum calculated capacity is about 7,500 megawatts,” the Government said in a statement.

The Finnish state management company in charge of land and water areas will conduct the auctions and lease the land on the western coast of Finland to selected partners for up to 50 years.

“Wind power from the sites to be auctioned is expected to increase Finland’s annual electricity production by more than a third,” Climate and Environment Minister Kai Mykkanen told reporters.