Project for renewal of diesel generators used as emergency power sources progresses in Olkiluoto

11.6.2015

According to plans, the diesel generators that serve as emergency power sources for plant units OL1 and OL2 will be replaced by the year 2021. This is the largest plant modification project ever carried out in Olkiluoto. The project has now progressed to the stage were earthworks have been started on the site of the new building to be built for the 9th emergency diesel generator. The contract for the actual construction works was awarded to Skanska Talonrakennus Oy at the end of May.

The extensive modernisation project for the renewal of the emergency diesel generators at Olkiluoto nuclear power plant is progressing. The project, which is worth more than a hundred million euro, covers the replacement of the eight emergency diesel generators of the existing two plant units. The replacement project is carried out with the units in power operation. To allow this, a ninth diesel generator system will be installed on the Olkiluoto plant site to be used as a substitute to any one of the eight emergency diesel generators of the plant units.

This ensures that each plant unit will be served by four emergency diesel generators also during the replacement work. The generators automatically supply power to the plant in case of a possible, but improbable failure of power supply.

The project for the renewal of the emergency power sources is now progressing to the construction of a new building for the ninth emergency diesel generator. The construction of the building, which is more than one thousand square-metres in size and located between plant units OL1 and OL2, is expected to start at the end of June.

The building is to be completed in main parts during the autumn of 2016, to allow the start of the installation of the ninth diesel generator, delivered by Wärtsilä. The construction project is implemented by a crew of ten to twenty workers. The emergency power supply system, including the building, is scheduled to be ready for commissioning in March 2017. According to plans, tests will be carried during the annual outages of 2017 to verify that the system can be connected to each plant unit.

The other eight emergency diesel generators will be replaced after that and the new systems are expected to be connected to the plant by the year 2021. The project also involves the construction of any required extensions in the existing auxiliary buildings that house the emergency diesel generators.

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