THE ENERGY INDUSTRY TIMES - MAY 2018
be more international.”
At the moment there are over 230
people working on the site. Manpower
on site will peak when construction
work is running in parallel
with installation work – some time in
2022.
Having achieved the major contractual
milestone of handing the site
over to RAOS in 2015, Fennovoima
is diligently working towards the
next major milestone – obtaining the
Construction Licence. This will allow
civil works to start on the nuclear
plant itself, with pouring of first
concrete.
The construction licence was expected
to be issued in 2018 but 2019
is now the new target.
Minna Forsström, Fennovoima’s
Project Director, commented: “STUK
has to ensure this is a safe nuclear
power plant. So the safety assessment
is clearly key. STUK has a lot of
questions and requirements – there
can be more than 10 000 requirements;
it’s a complicated process.”
The company therefore says that
this year it will focus on the review
Special Project Supplement
It is expected that all offshore work
will be completed during that window
this year. Onshore plant excavation
will start September of this year and
will be completed during August/
September next year.
Other major work being carried out
this year will be the start of construction
of Fennovoima’s administration
building. This will be completed by
the end of 2019. Two temporary office
buildings are also being built for
600 staff, which should be finished
by the end of this year.
In terms of staff, Fennovoima is
following a “resource plan”, whereby
it is recruiting four or five times a
year. Sipiläinen noted: “We are working
with consultants to help us find
the people we are looking for.
Currently, most staff recruitment is
taking place in Finland but as the
project progresses, it is likely to become
more international.
“It depends on the phase,” said
Sipiläinen. “Currently we are doing
the earthworks and construction
work, so it is quite local. But when
the power plant is being built, it will
and delivery of the Construction Licence
documentation and expects to
start production of the long lead
items such as the reactor pressure
vessel and steam turbine.
Fennovoima is submitting the
Construction Licence documentation
in batches to STUK, noting that it
has made “quite good progress”.
Explaining the submission process,
Forsström said: “We do this in many
steps; actually there are 10 batches
but in practice there are actions almost
every day. There is constant
dialogue; we meet with STUK people
every few days. This is different
from many other countries. They are
constantly following what we are
doing. They have access to our
models and can check how the development
is going.
“They also carry out inspections –
about 10 to 12 of Fennovoima, as
well as of the major sub-suppliers
and of RAOS Project itself. STUK
also approves the major components
and the major suppliers.”
Key suppliers include Atomenergomash
(a subsidiary of Rosatom)
for long lead items such as the reactor
pressure vessel and steam generators,
GE Steam Power Systems for
turbine generator set; Rolls-Royce
(protection automation) and Schneider
Electric (operational I&C).
As batch submissions for the Construction
Licence continue, excavation
and blasting work at the site is
ongoing. “We have to complete all
the blasting and excavation work
before we start concrete construction,”
said Sipiläinen. “Blasting and
excavation should be completed by
August next year.”
This will mark a significant milestone
in the project’s development
and in some ways, the point at which
the real work begins.
A significant amount of
offshore work is under way
Forsström: STUK has to
ensure this is a safe nuclear
power plant
Main design parameters
Rated reactor core thermal power (MWth) 3200
Thermal efficiency (%) ~37
Electric power (MW) 1200
Primary circuit pressure (bar) 162
Number of fuel assemblies 163
Number of control rods 121
Primary circuit loops/Steam generators 4
Rated core coolant flow rate (m3/h) 85 600