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Olkiluoto 3 grid connection expected within days

Thursday, 10 March 2022

Commissioning tests are progressing well at Olkiluoto 3, with grid connection now expected to take place on 15 March, Teollisuuden Voima Oyj has said.

Olkiluoto 3 grid connection expected within days — Olkiluoto 3 (Image: TVO)

Finland's fifth nuclear reactor reached first criticality in December and is now undergoing commissioning tests before being synchronised to the grid. TVO yesterday said it had "tested the production of the first megawatts on the electricity grid".

According to the company's latest production forecast, commissioning tests for the generator circuit breaker were to be performed in both manual and automatic mode, culminating in testing in auto mode, up to a maximum of 110 MW, for up to two hours. This took place on Wednesday (9 March).

The plant is now scheduled to be synchronised to the grid for the start of electricity production on 15 March, the company said. After this, commissioning will continue with further tests before the power level is raised to 60% reactor power, with "regular" electricity production to begin on 31 July.

In late January, TVO announced that connection of the 1600 MWe EPR - which had been expected at the end of that month - would be delayed after an unplanned automatic trip during commissioning tests.