Low-emission electricity production
The emissions generated by nuclear power are low: throughout the lifecycle, the emissions remain at the same level as for renewable sources of energy. The long service lives and small land areas required by nuclear power plants make them even more environmentally friendly.
Under normal conditions, the environmental impact from nuclear electricity production does not pose any harm to people or the environment. The impact of the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant’s operations on land, sea, and air is continuously monitored. Based on the monitoring results, the operations only cause a minor environmental load.
The most significant environmental aspect of the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant is the production of climate-friendly electricity, and the most significant impact is the local warming of the seawater near the plant. In 2021, the plant produced 14.44 TWh of electricity, and the cooling water temperature remained within the limits required by the environmental permit.
The low-emission nuclear electricity produced by TVO plays a significant role in lowering carbon dioxide emissions and achieving national and international climate goals.
Nuclear power enables major emission reductions
Nuclear power plays an important role in climate change mitigation. With the current nuclear power production in Europe, approximately 700 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions are avoided annually, of which Finland’s share accounts for 20 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions.
During its production history, the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant has produced 539 TWh of electricity. This production volume has prevented approximately 442 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, which corresponds to all the greenhouse gas emissions in Finland during a period of approximately eight years, in a scenario where nuclear power was replaced with condensing coal power, the specific emissions of which amount to 820 g / kWh.