Ministry issues reasoned conclusion on EIA report for OL1 and OL2 plant units
The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland issued today, 11 April 2025, an reasoned conclusion on the Environmental Impact Assessment report for the Olkiluoto 1 and Olkiluoto 2 plant units (OL1 and OL2) of Teollisuuden Voima Oyj’s (TVO) nuclear power plant in Olkiluoto. It covered an assessment of both continuing the operation of the plant units and continuing their operation at an uprated thermal power level. The Ministry states in the reasoned conclusion that the EIA report fulfils the requirements of EIA legislation. This completes the EIA procedure for the project.
The reasoned conclusion presents the views of the coordinating authority on the environmental impacts of the project. Apart from the EIA report and the comments and opinions provided on it, the conclusion is also based on the coordinating authority’s own review. The cross-border environmental impact assessment procedure was also applied to the project.
The Ministry states in the reasoned conclusion published today that the EIA report fulfils the requirements of EIA legislation. The conclusion also states that the environmental impacts of the plant units would remain at almost the present level in each alternative project case.
The environmental impacts from an uprated thermal power level are slightly greater than the impacts of just extending the service life. The most significant adverse impact of a nuclear power plant during normal operation is the thermal load carried to the nearby sea area in the cooling water discharged from the plant.
The implementation of the project would also have a significant positive impact on regional economy and the energy market.
The EIA procedure that has now been completed covered an assessment of the continuation of the operation of the plant units at the current thermal power and at an uprated thermal power. For each alternative, the extension of the plant’s service life to either the year 2048 or 2058 was assessed. In the uprated power alternative, the thermal power would be increased from the nominal 890 MW thermal power of the plant units to a maximum of 970 MW.
The decision that has now been issued was an important intermediate milestone for the potential implementation of the project.
- The project under consideration has now been found feasible in terms of the environmental impact by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. This has been a prerequisite for TVO's decision-making regarding the extension of the service life and the uprating of thermal power. As concerns the actual decision making, we will provide information as and when decisions are made, says Mikko Lampinen, TVO’s Senior Vice President, Engineering.
The reasoned conclusion, the EIA report in full, as well as all the comments and opinions received during the public consultation period can be found on the website of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment at: https://tem.fi/en/olkiluoto-1-and-2-eia-report
Text: Ville Kulmala
Photo: Tapani Karjanlahti