Economic Efficiency

60 years of economic production

In addition to safety, economy is a key factor in the design of OL3. For example, the efficiency of the new unit will be about 37% - some four percentage points higher than that of the existing units in Olkiluoto.

Compared with the newest nuclear power plants in operation in Europe, the OL3 unit will have 1% more reactor power and about 10% more electricity output, thus generating considerable savings in electricity production costs. The plant also consumes less uranium and generates less long-lived radioactive waste per each megawatt-hour.

The projected operational life time of OL3 is at least 60 years. The equipment and structures difficult to replace, such as the reactor pressure vessel and the containment, are designed to last at least six decades. All other structures and equipment can be replaced more frequently if required.