Defective fuel rods removed from reactor at Olkiluoto 1

8.4.2016

Defective fuel rods have been found at OL1 nuclear power plant unit. According to preliminary estimates, three fuel assemblies are to be removed from the reactor because of this and replaced with new assemblies. Electricity production at the plant unit will be stopped for the duration of the work on Monday 11 April 2016. The replacement is estimated to take approximately one week.

Radioactive substances are released to some extent from the defective fuel rods into the reactor water, but this causes no danger to the environment.

- Fuel damage is detected at nuclear power plants every now and then. Radioactive releases affect the radiation doses of the plant employees. Careful work planning and scheduling ensures that the accumulated radiation doses of the personnel remain low, despite the situation, explains Mikko Kosonen, Senior Vice President, Electricity Production.

There are a total of 500 fuel assemblies in the reactor core. Each assembly comprises almost one hundred fuel rods.

For more information, please contact:

Mikko Kosonen, Senior Vice President, Electricity Production,
Tel. +358 2 83 81 2100

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