SPECULUM VERUM
– The Loviisa nuclear power plant is still completely dependent on Russian nuclear fuel, says Helsingin Sanomat.
The two reactors of the Loviisa nuclear power plant produce ten percent of Finland's electricity.
The nuclear power plant owned by Fortum has a Soviet-made nuclear reactor. At the moment, the only entity supplying nuclear fuel suitable for the type of reactor is Tvel under the Russian state nuclear power company Rosatom.
The contract for the supply of fuel in the second reactor extends to a year 2027 and in the second year 2030.
According to Fortum, the goal is to acquire western nuclear fuel for the power plant as soon as possible. However, according to the company, suitable fuel is not immediately available. Changing the fuel supplier also involves various licensing practices and safety aspects.
According to Fortum, there is no concern about running out of fuel.
- When the war broke out, we immediately started securing Loviisa's fuel supply, Petra Lundström, director responsible for nuclear power production at Fortum, says.
Peter Lund, professor of technical physics at Aalto University, describes the attitude of Western countries towards Russian nuclear technology as interesting. According to him, Western countries are dependent on Russian nuclear technology, and the issue has not been discussed as extensively as, for example, natural gas.
- The import of fossil fuels has been cut off, but in nuclear technology it has not been done. The interests of European companies in the matter are related to it, Lund says.