Finland Sees Delay to New Nuclear Reactor as Blackouts Loom
The Olkiluoto-3 nuclear reactor.
Photographer: Roni Rekomaa/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
A new nuclear reactor in Finland is set to be delayed by about two weeks to the end of the year, exacerbating a potential power shortage that’s pushed authorities to warn that the Nordic country faces rolling blackouts.
The delay is due to damage found in the feedwater pumps located in the 1,600-megawatt Olkiluoto-3 unit’s turbine island during a testing phase, its operator Teollisuuden Voima Oyj said in a statement, adding that nuclear safety was not compromised. A new commissioning schedule posted later on Wednesday showed tests are slated to resume Nov. 13 and regular power production on Dec. 27.