The EPR becomes reality at Finland's Olkiluoto 3

On December 18, 2003, the Framatome ANP/Siemens Consortium was awarded a turnkey contract by the Finnish utility Teollisuuden Voima Oy (TVO) to build a new nuclear power plant at the Olkiluoto site in Finland, where two nuclear units are already in operation (Olkiluoto-1 and Olkiluoto-2 reactors). The new unit Olkiluoto-3 will be an EPR (European Pressurized Water Reactor), a third- generation PWR. Within the consortium Framatome ANP, an AREVA and Siemens company, is supplying the entire aenuclear islandAe, i.e. the reactor with all nuclear safety and auxiliary systems, while Siemens Power Generation is building the 'conventional island' comprising the turbine and generator together with all necessary auxiliaries. Framatome ANP, which is head of the consortium, is responsible for overall project management as well as technical and functional integration. TVO started preparing the construction site as soon as the contract had been signed. The actual construction work was started in the spring of 2005. Commercial operation is scheduled to begin in 2009. In this article the current project status, EPR development goals and technical details as well as safety issues are reviewed