Olkiluoto produced last year about one fifth of the electricity consumed in Finland

Olkiluoto NPP produced a significant amount of climate-smart electricity for Finland the whole year 2022. The Olkiluoto 1 (OL1) plant unit produced 6.9 TWH of electricity and had a load factor of 89.1 percent. Plant unit Olkiluoto 2 (OL2) reached a record result of all times with the production volume rising to 7.5 TWH while the load factor was 96.8 percent. The Olkiluoto 3 (OL3) plant unit was synchronised to the national grid on 12 March, and on 30 September, it produced electricity at full power for the first time. The total production volume of Olkiluoto 3 during the test production stage in 2022 amounted to 1.9 TWh.

- Olkiluoto’s production plays an important role in Finland’s electricity production. Last year, we produced about one-fifth of Finland’s electricity, but now we are quickly heading towards Olkiluoto 3’s regular production. Then, the share of production will rise to about 30 percent of Finland’s electricity demand, says Marjo Mustonen, Senior Vice President for Electricity Production.

Last spring, the OL1 plant unit underwent a maintenance outage which was longer than normal, 33 days. This had an impact on the electricity production result. A refuelling outage of nine days was carried out at the OL2 plant unit. The annual outages were executed successfully together with an extensive network of cooperation partners. Both plant units have been modernised throughout their history and investments of tens of millions per year are still continued. At present, an I&C modernisation project is ongoing, designed to completely revamp a significant proportion of reactor automation and operational automation systems.

At the OL3 plant unit, the test production stage progressed in 2022 gradually to full-power tests. After the tests, production at the plant unit is discontinued in January for planned inspections of the impellers of the feedwater pumps. Upon completion of these, prior to the start of regular electricity production, another test production period of about one month will follow with OL3 producing electricity 24/7, mostly at full power. Regular electricity production is to start at OL3 on March 2023.

Major construction works progressed on Posiva's ONKALO worksite during 2022. The excavation of the first five actual deposition tunnels was completed in June. Building activities were finalised at the encapsulation plant at the end of May. Since then, activities have focused on the installation of various equipment and systems. The final disposal of spent nuclear fuel in Olkiluoto is scheduled to start in mid-2020s.