Alight has reached financial close on €46 million of senior debt for its first Finnish project - a 100 MWp solar farm in Eurajoki currently in late-stage development The facility agreement for the Eurajoki solar farm will be replicated to finance three additional projects in Alight's near-term Finnish pipeline totaling 200+ MWp and more than 110 million euros in debt financing Finland's total installed capacity was 1.2 GW according to the Finnish Solar Energy Association this framework financing agreement to finance 300+ MWp could boost Finland’s installed capacity by roughly 25 percent The financing follows a €110 million senior debt facility that Alight secured with Dutch lender Rabobank in September which will finance 220 MWp of small- to medium-sized Swedish solar parks “We applaud ABN AMRO and SEB for their leadership in financing the green transition illustrated by this commitment to supporting sizable solar development in Finland” said Warren Campbell “We look forward to strengthening our existing relationship with SEB and establishing strong ties with ABN AMRO particularly in light of future financing needs required to build out our extensive pipeline of 800 MW+ of Finnish solar projects.” Alight a leading Nordic solar developer and independent power producer has signed a facility agreement with banks ABN AMRO and SEB which will serve as a framework financing agreement to be utilized for the financing of the construction and operation of more than 300 MWp of solar parks in Finland Alight has reached financial close on €46 million of senior debt for its first Finnish project — a 100 MWp solar park in Eurajoki currently in late-stage development.  The facility agreement for the 100 MWp Eurajoki solar park will be replicated to finance three additional projects in Alight's near-term Finnish pipeline totaling 200+ MWp and more than €110 million in debt financing this framework financing agreement to finance 300+ MWp could boost Finland’s installed capacity by roughly 25%.  which will finance 220 MWp of small- to medium-sized Swedish solar parks.   says: “We applaud ABN AMRO and SEB for their leadership in financing the green transition illustrated by this commitment to supporting sizable solar development in Finland We look forward to strengthening our existing relationship with SEB and establishing strong ties with ABN AMRO particularly in light of future financing needs required to build out our extensive pipeline of 800 MW+ of Finnish solar projects.”  Project & Infrastructure Finance at ABN AMRO says: “Finland is committed to the EU’s energy and climate targets and to reducing its dependency on imported fossil fuels as evidenced by its favorable renewable energy policies and incentives Alight has an admirable track record of building and operating solar parks and we’re proud to support the company in its mission to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable future.”  Head of Project & Infrastructure Finance Finland at SEB we recognize the urgency of the green transition and are passionate about financing projects that accelerate it Backing Alight’s 300+ MWp portfolio will be nothing short of transformative for the country’s energy landscape.”  You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience Swedish solar developer Alight has signed a 100 MW power purchase agreement (PPA) with Autoliv for Finland’s largest PPA to date Swedish solar developer Alight has signed a PPA with Stockholm-headquartered automotive safety supplier Autoliv for a 100 MW solar park to be built in Eurajoki, western Finland own and operate the solar facility while Autoliv will contract the majority of electricity produced helping the company work towards its goal of carbon neutrality in its operations by 2030 Alight recently secured €46 million ($50.8 million) of senior debt from Swedish bank SEB and Dutch bank ABN AMRO to finance the solar park expected to be operational next calendar year equivalent to the electricity needs of approximately 20,000 households “Construction will begin this spring and upon completion the facility will be among Finland’s largest solar parks helping to secure energy independence for the nation,” said Alight CEO Warren Campbell More articles from Patrick Jowett Please be mindful of our community standards and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" By submitting this form you agree to pv magazine using your data for the purposes of publishing your comment Your personal data will only be disclosed or otherwise transmitted to third parties for the purposes of spam filtering or if this is necessary for technical maintenance of the website Any other transfer to third parties will not take place unless this is justified on the basis of applicable data protection regulations or if pv magazine is legally obliged to do so You may revoke this consent at any time with effect for the future in which case your personal data will be deleted immediately your data will be deleted if pv magazine has processed your request or the purpose of data storage is fulfilled Further information on data privacy can be found in our Data Protection Policy Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" This website uses cookies to anonymously count visitor numbers. View our privacy policy. × The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this Close A worker walks at the turbine room linked to the OL3 the latest among three reactors at the nuclear power plant Olkiluoto on May 2 western Finland.\nJonathan Nackstrand | Afp | Getty Images Finland is on the cusp of burying spent nuclear fuel in the world’s first geological tomb The pioneering project has been hailed as both a watershed moment for the long-term sustainability of nuclear energy and “a model for the entire world.” At some point either next year or in early 2026 highly radioactive spent nuclear fuel will be packed in watertight canisters and deposited into bedrock more than 400 meters below the forests of southwest Finland The durable copper canisters will be isolated separated from humans and kept underground for thousands of years “Onkalo,” which is the trademark name of the long-term disposal facility is the Finnish word for a small cave or pit which sits atop a warren of tunnels and is situated next to three nuclear reactors on the island of Olkiluoto approximately 240 kilometers from the capital of Helsinki Posiva is tasked with the responsibility of handling the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel rods at Onkalo The Finnish company is jointly owned by nuclear power company TVO and utility Fortum the Onkalo project is that we are building an encapsulation plant and disposal facility for spent fuel “Having a solution for the final disposal of spent fuel was like the missing part of the sustainable lifecycle for nuclear energy,” Tuohimaa said The Onkalo project has stoked debate about whether anyone can guarantee the long-term safety of spent nuclear waste and the extent to which atomic power should be used in the fight against the climate crisis Nuclear energy currently provides about 9% of the world’s electricity, according to the World Nuclear Association As it’s low-carbon, advocates argue that nuclear energy has the potential to play a significant role in helping countries generate electricity while slashing emissions and reducing their reliance on fossil fuels Some environmental groups, however, say the nuclear industry is an expensive and harmful distraction to cheaper and cleaner alternatives “I work both in nuclear waste disposal and nuclear accidents and I have experienced the best and worst of what the nuclear industry can offer,” Gareth Law professor of radiochemistry at the University of Helsinki good baseload but then I have seen the bad side too waste creation and the problems that we have there,” he continued “To have a country now that’s demonstrating that you can actually take this very dangerous waste that’s going to be here for 100,000-odd years into the future and we actually have a disposal solution for it Law described the Onkalo project as a “big milestone” for both Finland and the international nuclear power industry “Posiva are very correct in selling this as a world first It is going to be the first repository to take spent nuclear fuel and dispose of it in what I think is going to be a very safe and robust manner into the future.” Law said that while many countries will want to follow in Finland’s footsteps when it comes to the geological disposal of spent nuclear fuel the Nordic country is “at least a decade” ahead of neighboring Sweden the next country that’s likely to achieve such a feat it is a very difficult thing to put it into place and to enact very difficult to get the impetus to do this disposal scenario,” Law said “There are many countries in the world that are still very much in the planning stages and even just trying to find somewhere to put the waste the fact that Finland [has] built a repository now and in the next year or two we’re going to be operating it and start the disposal process … I don’t want to call it a miracle but it wouldn’t be a bad way of framing it in the global context.” The Onkalo project is based on the so-called “KBS-3” method developed by the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company which is working on what could be the world’s second final repository KBS-3 is based on a multi-barrier principle where several engineered barriers seek to ensure the long-term safety of the spent nuclear fuel it means that if one of the barriers were to fail the isolation of the radioactive waste is not compromised “It is a way to showcase that such a small nation sometimes is able to solve one of humankind’s maybe top 20 problems or challenges,” Finnish Climate Minister Kai Mykkänen told CNBC via videoconference “As we have seen during the past 10 years, nuclear seems to be required in a very important way for the green deal in Europe … but especially if we want to see Asia and the U.S get rid of fossil electricity production,” he added Asked whether the Onkalo project could be seen as a solution to the sustainability of nuclear waste “I am sure that the clear majority of the Finnish population and also an even larger population near to Onkalo People really see it as a solution that replaces more harmful energy.” Mykkänen said he hoped the Onkalo project would be “a model for the entire world.” Get the best of CNBC Africa sent straight to your inbox with breaking business news insights and updates from experts across the continent Get this delivered to your inbox, and more info about about our products and services. By signing up for newsletters, you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. NewslettersSign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC Africa delivered to your inbox and more info about our products and services © 2025 Africa Business News Pty. Ltd. Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes Mission Statement: to assist the integration of foreign residents living in Spain and this is never more accurate than when you establish yourself as a foreign resident in a new country Being able to quickly familiarise yourself with the culture and customs can help ease the transition during a challenging time This is why Euro Weekly News makes it our mission to provide you with a free news resource in English that covers both regional and national Spanish news – anything that we feel you will benefit from knowing as you integrate into your new community and live your best life in Spain you can forget about translating articles from Spanish into awkward English that probably don’t make much sense Let us be your convenient and essential guide to all things that will likely affect you as a foreign resident living in Spain Stockholm-based solar developer Alight has reportedly secured €46 million in senior debt financing from banks ABN AMRO and SEB to fund a 100 MWp solar park in Eurajoki The financing marks Alight’s first large-scale project in the country and is part of a broader facility agreement to support over 300 MWp of solar parks in Finland This framework financing agreement will facilitate the construction and operation of multiple solar projects potentially boosting Finland’s total installed solar capacity by 25 per cent expressed gratitude towards the banks supporting the initiative particularly in light of future financing needs required to build out our extensive pipeline of 800 MW+ of Finnish solar projects.” Cited by Cision News Finland has been actively working towards reducing its dependence on imported fossil fuels and achieving its EU climate targets highlighted Finland’s renewable energy policies and incentives “Alight has an admirable track record of building and operating solar parks and we’re proud to support the company in its mission to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable future.” Cited by Cision News With this latest funding round, Alight aims to further expand its renewable energy footprint, playing a key role in Finland’s green transition and strengthening the Nordic solar market View all news in Finland Subscribe to our Euro Weekly News alerts to get the latest stories into your inbox Euro Weekly News is the leading English language newspaper in Spain by delivering news with a social conscience we are proud to be the voice for the expat communities who now call Spain home With around half a million print readers a week and over 1.5 million web views per month EWN has the biggest readership of any English language newspaper in Spain The paper prints over 150 news stories a week with many hundreds more on the web – no one else even comes close Our publication has won numerous awards over the last 25 years including Best Free Newspaper of the Year (Premios AEEPP) Company of the Year (Costa del Sol Business Awards) and Collaboration with Foreigners honours (Mijas Town Hall) All of this comes at ZERO cost to our readers All our print and online content always has been and always will be FREE OF CHARGE Download our media pack in either English or Spanish InvestingFinland Records First Hurricane-Force Winds Off West CoastBy Leo LaikolaPublished: November 04, 2024 at 8:11AM EST (Bloomberg) -- Finland’s coastal waters were hit by hurricane-force winds for the first time, as more extreme weather batters Europe. Storm Lyly brought an average wind speed of 33.5 meters per second on Friday to Kylmapihlaja, off the coast from the city of Rauma, according to Finland’s Meteorological Institute. That exceeded the definition of a hurricane-force wind, set at an average of 33 meters per second over 10 minutes.  Gale-force winds across a wider area of the Nordic country’s west coast felled trees and left about 67,000 people without electricity. Two poles supporting a 400-kilovolt power line in Eurajoki collapsed, local media reported. A vessel under construction at a shipyard in Rauma broke loose, though the damage was reduced by weather warnings that allowed additional ropes and a tug to be deployed. The storm was accompanied by 20 centimeters (8 inches) of snow in southern parts of the country. The extreme weather came after devastating floods hit Spain last week, killing more than 200 people after a storm dumped a year’s worth of rainfall in less than 24 hours.  Twitter feed ©2025 BellMedia All Rights Reserved Tokmanni     Press release     12 November 2024 at 6:25 p.m After the store opening in Eurajoki on 14 November 2024 Tokmanni will already have 202 Tokmanni stores across Finland The photo above is from the Tokmanni store in Tiiriö in Hämeenlinna The new Tokmanni store opens its doors in a completely new commercial building in a central business location in the immediate vicinity of the busy highway 8 (Valtatie 8 The Tokmanni store offers a comprehensive selection of products focusing on The Eurajoki store has been designed in line with Tokmanni’s newest store concept emphasising convenient and pleasant shopping experience and has plenty of space there is a garden department in connection with the store the size of the garden department is almost 600 square metres is located about 15 kilometres from the city of Rauma and about 35 kilometres from the city of Pori The municipality has a population of more than 9,000 inhabitants and there are also a lot of summer and other leisure residents in the area “We are very pleased to be able to open our new Tokmanni store along the highway 8 in Eurajoki before the busy Christmas season,” says Timo Heimo “Many local residents and other people who use the municipality’s services have hoped that a Tokmanni store would be opened in Eurajoki will meet the expectations of our customers very well,” he adds Customer service at the Eurajoki store is provided by Store Manager Sari Koivunen and her team of more than ten retail professionals The store will be open from 8 am to 8 pm on weekdays from 8 am to 7 pm on Saturdays and from 11 am to 6 pm on Sundays Convenient services and smart energy choices In addition to offering a comprehensive and affordable product assortment and a pleasant shopping experience Tokmanni focuses on services that make customers’ daily lives easier and on smart energy choices there is a Plugit Lataus charging point for customer’s electric and plug-in hybrid cars in the store’s parking area Tokmanni offers a comprehensive selection of products focusing on Tokmanni stores have plenty of Christmas products Opening offers and surprise buckets with product gifts in true Tokmanni style Tokmanni always celebrates the openings of its new stores with generous opening offers. In Eurajoki, the opening offers will be valid from Thursday 14 November to Sunday 17 November 2024 500 of the Tokmanni’s famous surprise buckets filled with product gifts will be handed out for free to the first customers in Eurajoki on the day of the opening on Thursday 14 November Two of the surprise buckets will also contain a EUR 50 gift card On the opening day of the Eurajoki store, Tokmanni will also celebrate its expanded and refurbished store in Kangasala The size of the Kangasala store has been expanded by almost 1,200 square metres to approximately 5,500 square metres The expansion has enabled the Tokmanni store to offer a much more comprehensive product assortment new Tokmanni stores will be celebrated in the Entresse shopping centre in Espoo Nikkilä in Sipoo and Sodankylä this year the new store will replace the current Tokmanni store in the Espoontori shopping centre in the immediate vicinity of the Entresse shopping centre the current Tokmanni store in Sodankylä will also be closed soon The latest new Dollarstore store opened its doors in Karlstad in September this year The latest new Big Dollar store was opened in Frederikshavn in May this year New Dollarstore stores will be celebrated next in the Strömpilen shopping area in Umeå and in Burlöv municipality in late November new Big Dollar stores will be celebrated next in Randers and Grena (or Grenå) in late November Tokmanni Group has announced that it will open several new stores in 2025–2026 as well. More information about the stores can be found on the Group's website Finland will soon start operating a deep geological waste repository for spent fuel rods from nuclear power plants A visit to the Onkalo artificial cave system Reporters from international media publications have been visiting the mayor of the Finnish municipality of Eurajoki for weeks And they all want to know the same thing: How it is possible that Eurajoki hasn’t protested against the energy industry's plan to build a deep storage site for radioactive waste here Why are people even welcoming the facility we pride ourselves on doing pioneering work.» this is not done out of sheer selflessness or to feel good about doing a service for the Finnish common good There are significant financial issues at play and Eurajoki has been the site of nuclear power plants for about 50 years Construction of two reactors started on the municipality's territory in 1974 and these have respectively been connected to the power grid since 1979 and 1982 The taxes paid by the operating company Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO) contribute around 20 million euros annually to Eurajoki's coffers That's a lot of money for a municipality that is almost as large as the canton of Zurich in terms of area but has a population of barely 10,000 people «We don't even qualify for state fiscal equalization in favor of structurally weak rural communities,» quips Lakaniemi The nuclear power industry has also created many jobs – there are around a thousand directly involved in the industry itself and numerous others in local supplier and service companies This makes Eurajoki very different from other Finnish municipalities of similar size where the supply of jobs is often limited and leads to rural exodus All this favored the local council's decision in 2000 to allow a deep geological disposal site for highly radioactive waste to be built near the nuclear power plants the decision would have been binding for the state a small town 90 kilometers east of Helsinki on the Gulf of Finland Loviisa is Finland's second nuclear power plant site The central government was thus in the comfortable situation that both Eurajoki and Loviisa were virtually fighting over the repository who was not in local politics himself at the time «Eurajoki already had 30 years of experience working with the nuclear industry at that time,» he says «There was hardly anyone in the community who didn't have relatives or acquaintances who worked there The companies have always communicated transparently and kept all their promises The scientific basis of the projects had been well explained to us regulations and regulators is traditionally high in Finland.» That is why the acceptance of nuclear energy is high This is also evident in Olkiluoto on the Baltic coast about a 20-minute drive from Lakaniemi's office in the community center A school class has just arrived at the visitors' center of the nuclear power plant site here they will not only be shown how nuclear fission is used to produce electricity production but also learn a lot about the new nuclear waste repository geologist Tuomas Pere stands between tunnel walls of ancient rock He shows a small group of international journalists what the deep geological repository looks like in reality «This is the plug that closes off our test tunnel,» he says pointing to a gray concrete wall with a series of thin tubes leading away from it The space is built exactly according to specifications formulated in the Onkalo project for the tunnels in which spent nuclear fuel will be placed the copper containers located in the caverns of the test tunnel don’t yet contain radioactive waste but only heating elements that simulate the heat release of the waste the tunnel was filled with rock and then sealed Hundreds of sensors are then used to measure the behavior of the deposit over a period of years This is intended to allow conclusions to be drawn about long-term safety long term means a horizon of at least 100,000 years These tests are a prerequisite for granting an operating license for the Onkalo («hole») deep storage facility to Posiva a joint venture between TVO and the semi-public energy company Fortum Posiva is also responsible for the construction of a factory for the encapsulation of radioactive waste which will be built next to the entrance to the deep repository the containers will be transported by lift to the storage level 430 meters below the earth's surface and then brought to the individual caverns by remote-controlled transporters When the storage tunnels begin receiving the first spent fuel deliveries around the mid-2020s Finland will be the first country in the world to have a permanent solution for storing the radioactive waste produced by its nuclear power plants Construction work on the deep repository began in 2004 – a time when other countries including Switzerland were still just beginning to identify possible repository sites Finland is proud of its pioneering role. Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has called Onkalo a «game changer» for the nuclear industry Such facilities will strengthen the industry's role in a decarbonized energy economy Onkalo's safety concept is based on making it impossible for radioactivity to escape by means of several barriers that are as independent of each other as possible. The first layer of protection is provided by sealed canisters made of iron inside a cover made of copper, with the copper serving to protect against corrosion. The caverns, in which the containers are placed, are then filled with bentonite a clay rock that swells on contact with water solidifies and absorbs liquid in the process To prevent water from penetrating into the caverns the galleries are also filled with bentonite granules and then sealed care has been taken during planning to drill the storage tunnels in areas where the rock is stable and the possibility of water flowing in or out is low all access and service tunnels will also be backfilled once emplacement is complete That sounds comprehensive, but it's not good enough for Jari Natunen. A biochemist with a three-decade career in both the research sector and industry, and most recently with the Finnish Nature Conservation Association he is one of the relatively few public skeptics of deep geological repositories His reservations range from specific technical problems to larger societal issues «The level of approval for Onkalo in Finland is not as great as is always claimed,» Natunen says. «But the nuclear industry is very good at designing its surveys to get the best possible results.» He is also critical of the fact that there are too few environmental scientists sitting on the decision-making committees. He describes the Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) the industry and the Energy Ministry as a «fraternity of engineers» who lack environmental expertise Specifically, he dislikes the fact that the corrosion resistance of the copper tanks has not been sufficiently determined for the long period of their estimated service life. In this regard, he refers to research by «highly respected scientists» on behalf of a Swedish non-governmental organization a Swedish court ruled that it had not yet been definitively proved that the canisters could actually do their job as intended Natunen has a long list of other specific criticisms that he raises in the interview in Helsinki but returns above all to a single fundamental one: He says he would have liked to see an «honest scientific debate» instead of one that was tailor-made for the Onkalo project And he has a problem with the idea that mankind wants to take responsibility for the radioactive waste it creates for only a certain amount of time when uranium and its decay products are actually eternally dangerous emphasizes that it is only right that the generation that has produced the waste should also be responsible for its disposal the inevitable question arises as to whether the plant really is absolutely safe «Certainly in the sense of the requirements of Finnish laws,» is the answer Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Swedish solar developer Alight has obtained a grid connection for its 100 MW solar project in Eurajoki Construction is expected to start later this year Swedish solar developer Alight has signed a grid connection agreement with Caruna, a Finnish independent power producer and grid operator, to connect a 100 MW solar park in western Finland The plant, located in Eurajoki is one of the biggest under development in Finland and has also received a building permit from the local municipality The site covers 123 hectares and will have enough capacity to meet the annual electricity consumption of around 20,000 homes Construction of the facility will start later this year and it is expected to be operational in early 2026 A spokesperson for Alight told pv magazine the timeline from signing a land lease agreement to signing the grid connection agreement which signals the project has reached the ready-to-build stage Alight Deputy CEO Warren Campbell said the project is one the company’s most mature in Finland “We are well on our way to reaching our goal of 1.5 GW of solar projects under development by the end of 2024 we will sign a power purchase agreement with a company committed to buying the clean electricity making the solar park financially viable,” Campbell added Alight announced plans to install 90 MW of solar in Harjavalta Finland had deployed 900 MW of solar by the end of 2023, up from 664 MW the year prior, according to figures from the International Renewable Energy Agency. In May, seven solar projects totalling 213 MW across the country were given the go ahead after signing grant agreements with the European Climate Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency while Autoliv will contract a majority of the clean electricity produced to secure a  long-term supply at a stable This collaboration enables the addition of new  renewable energy capacity to the Finnish grid while also advancing Autoliv’s sustainability  ambitions “Solar power has a great potential to transform the Finnish energy landscape by  complimenting its wind production and we’re proud that together with Autoliv we are  announcing the largest solar PPA in Finland” said Warren Campbell “By combining its sustainability leadership with  our expertise in solar development we are jointly making significant strides toward a low carbon future.” Autoliv pledged to achieve carbon neutrality in its operations by 2030 This solar  PPA with Alight represents a significant step forward in achieving Autoliv’s ambitions and  underscores its position as a sustainability leader in the automotive industry Alight recently secured 46 million euros of senior debt from SEB and ABN AMRO to finance the  solar park it is projected to produce 100 GWh annually equivalent to the electricity needs of approximately 20,000 households Construction will begin this spring and upon completion the facility will be among Finland’s largest solar  parks helping to secure energy independence for the nation we are  committed to operating our business in an environmentally sustainable manner while  delivering world-class products to our customers” added Kaisa Tarna-Mani Vice President of Sustainability at Autoliv we  see Virtual Power Purchase Agreements as a strategic cornerstone of our low-carbon  operations.” Autoliv Alight Europe’s first new plant in 16 years comes on stream in Finland day after Germany pulls plug on last reactors When Europe’s first new nuclear reactor in 16 years came online in Finland it was hailed by its operator as a “significant addition to clean domestic production” that would “play an important role in the green transition” The opening last Sunday of the long-delayed Olkiluoto 3 plant means about 40% of Finland’s electricity demand will soon be met by nuclear power which the government says will boost energy security and help it achieve its carbon neutrality targets Across the Baltic Sea and just hours before the Finnish plant came on stream, Germany was finally pulling the plug on its last three nuclear power plants shutting down the steaming towers of Isar II Emsland and Neckarwestheim II reactors late on Saturday at the heart of Germany’s long-lived and powerful anti-nuclear movement organised a party at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin nuclear energy belongs to history,” it proclaimed There are few clearer illustrations of Europe’s nuclear divide argues that the costs are too high and the risks – from reactor accidents and toxic waste – are Another, headed by France argues equally forcefully that nuclear power is a reliable low-carbon alternative to fossil fuels for electricity and that phasing it out as Europe tries to meet vital green targets is ecologically damaging and economically senseless The debate is not new. But with a third of the bloc’s nuclear reactors nearing the end of their original lifespan by 2025, and a legally binding aim of cutting net greenhouse gas emissions by 55% from 1990 levels by 2030 The energy shock that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year which brought an end to cheap gas imports and led Germany to briefly delay closing its last nuclear plants “There’s a lot of posturing,” the centrist MEP Pascal Canfin who chairs the European parliament’s environment committee “Different member states have made very different choices and have very different positions – and interests “There’s scope for convergence and compromise But given the sheer quantity of additional electricity we will need both sides have to recognise we need every available solution … We have to take the politics and ideology out of this.” Environmental activists protesting against what they describe as the EU’s greenwashing of nuclear energy, in Frankfurt, Germany, in January 2022. Photograph: Michael Probst/APAccording to Eurostat 25.4% of the EU’s electricity was nuclear generated in 2021 accounting for just over half of that total If France has the highest share of nuclear in its electricity mix (almost 70%) followed by Slovakia (52.4%) and Belgium (50.6%) Germany’s opposition to nuclear goes back a long way; it was the main issue behind the launch of the country’s Green movement Chornobyl and Fukushima reinforced an essentially ideological conviction Advocates of its “Energiewende” green transition plan note that the 46% share of its electricity generated by renewables is far greater than the share that was produced by nuclear when its phase-out was first announced in 1998 aimed at winning long-term public and industry support will increase fossil fuel consumption and CO2 emissions in the short term (coal is due to be phased out by 2038 or earlier) Germany argues it will also stimulate renewables growth Immediate energy supply concerns meant public opinion swung against the shutdown last weekend but polls before the war in Ukraine showed broad support for the principle after a 1987 referendum (in a 2011 plebiscite 94% of voters rejected a government plan to reintroduce nuclear power) Belgium was planning to close the last of its seven reactors by 2025, but recently extended the life of the two newest for a further decade saying they were “critical to our energy security” Spain aims to phase out its five active plants by 2035 Free weekly newsletterThe most pressing stories and debates for Europeans – from identity to economics to the environment Other opponents include Portugal, Denmark and Austria – which, along with Luxembourg, is suing the European Commission for classing nuclear energy as a “bridge technology” on the path to net zero, and thus as a “green” investment “Certain countries have made the extreme choice of turning their back on nuclear energy,” President Emmanuel Macron said when unveiling his plans in February. “Not France.” The country launched its nuclear programme after the 1973 oil crisis; a poll last year showed nearly 80% of voters support it, up 20 points from 2016. The nuclear standoff – at its most tense between France and Germany – has the potential to disrupt a range of vital EU projects, from changes to the bloc’s electricity market to the Green Deal programme supporting industry’s transition to net zero. For example, Paris and its central European allies have raged against a lack of support from Berlin for their efforts to have nuclear-derived hydrogen classified as “green” in EU legislation (so that it counts towards renewable energy targets). For Canfin, compromise will have to come through a general acceptance that renewable energy is “green” while nuclear energy is “low-carbon” – not fully green, because of its cost and risks, but also not “fossil”. “Text by text, we have to take the drama out of the question,” he said. “Behind the political slogans, there is starting to be convergence around the realities.” France and the “pro” camp now accept that only renewables are capable of boosting low-carbon electricity production short-term, Canfin said, while Germany is “evolving” to view nuclear as “part of the solution, not part of the problem”. A generational shift in Europe’s green movement – now driven more by concern about the climate crisis than, as was once the case, opposition to nuclear – should help, he said, with the Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg criticising Germany’s shutdown as “a mistake”. Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas, Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information, news and insight around the world Under the long-term supply deal with major automotive safety supplier Autoliv Inc. while Autoliv will receive a majority of the power output the Swedish firm said in a statement on Thursday Independent power producer (IPP) Alight has signed an agreement to connect a 100MW solar PV park in Finland Signed with Finnish electricity network company Caruna, the project is located in Eurajoki, in western Finland. The Swedish IPP unveiled the project last September and is currently under development Construction of the project is expected to begin in late 2024 and be operational in early 2026 The company is expected to sign a power purchase agreement for the project and make the solar park “financially viable” Campbell added that the Swedish IPP is on its way to reaching its goal of 1.5GW of solar PV under development by the end of 2024 “The clean transition accelerates the need for new electricity network capacity in Finland which will require grid development in the coming years and we welcome regulations that will allow for the necessary investments to bring more projects like this online,” said Kosti Rautiainen Despite having a lower level of irradiance than southern European countries such as Spain or Italy, interest in solar PV in Finland – and the Nordics – continues to increase. Recently, renewables developer Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV) entered the Finnish market with the intention to develop 600MW of solar PV The portfolio consists of several projects which are targeted to reach the ready to build phase between 2024 and 2026 In its updated National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) Finland more than doubled the installed capacity of solar PV by 2030 from 1.2GW to 2.8GW we have upgraded our product offerings and features to bring you the best experience please check your email inbox for password reset message from PV Tech and follow the instructions Can\'t find the email? Try to sign in again and use the "Forgot Password" button If you have any questions please contact us tested a new nuclear sludge removal facility which can solve its nuclear waste problems numerous countries suffered from nuclear waste issues caused by the nuclear industry This is because elements from nuclear waste can endanger animals the United Kingdom needs to have effective nuclear waste removal; and they have successfully tested one According to Interesting Engineering's latest report the first trials for the new nuclear sludge removal facility were successful Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) tested it at an indoor site The experiment is a part of the initiative led by TDA (The Decommissioning Alliance) "The work we are carrying out at the site has been ongoing since 2010 and has been instrumental in reducing the inventory in the pond, which in turn reduces the overall risk," said TDA Project Manager Scott Bond via World Nuclear News For those who are not familiar with sludge it is a by-product of wastewater processes the new nuclear sludge removal facility works by attaching the latest BSRT (Bulk Sludge Retrieval Tool) to a 40-meter umbilical The new nuclear tool can function just like a regular vacuum cleaner removing the nuclear sludge and sending it to a long-term storage facility "It's been great to be able to play a part in what is such a major development for the nuclear industry," said Graham Cartwright If you want to learn more details about the new nuclear sludge removal facility in the U.K., you can visit this link always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes Sign up for our free newsletter for the Latest coverage Tokmanni     Press release     22 June 2023 at 9:00 a.m Tokmanni and the municipality of Eurajoki have been preparing a real estate transaction on Kauppatie 4 The size of the plot is approximately 15,000 square metres The Board of Eurajoki municipal will handle the matter at its meeting on Tuesday 27 June 2023 Tokmanni’s goal is to expand its store network by constructing a new Tokmanni store on the plot which is located in the immediate vicinity of highway 8 The new store will have approximately 3,000 square metres of space “We are very happy to announce the opening of a new Tokmanni store in Eurajoki. The store, which will have around 3,000 square metres of space, will allow us to offer the residents of the municipality as well as other customers in Eurajoki a versatile product assortment,” says Harri Koponen “Our plan is to start the construction of the new store building during the current year and to open the store in autumn 2024,” he adds Eurajoki is located in the region of Satakunta about 15 kilometres from the city of Rauma and about 35 kilometres from the city of Pori Eurajoki has a population of more than 9,000 inhabitants “The municipality of Eurajoki is very pleased with Tokmanni’s decision to construct a store in Eurajoki Tokmanni will offer the new Eurajoki commercial area along the busy highway 8 a strong and competent commercial operator whose versatile commercial services are certainly in demand I warmly welcome Tokmanni to Eurajoki!” says Vesa Lakaniemi Tokmanni’s store network is growing and renewing The new stores in Rovaniemi and Hämeenlinna will replace the Tokmanni stores currently serving in the centre of Rovaniemi and in Tiiriö in Hämeenlinna The plan is to celebrate the opening of the new Tokmanni store in Rovaniemi at the beginning of September this year and the new store in Tiiriö in Hämeenlinna in November this year Tokmanni’s goal is to start the construction of a new store building on the plot immediately after obtaining a building permit Tokmanni aims to carry out the expansion of the store by the end of August this year Markets & Policy Events Follow Mercom India on WhatsApp for exclusive updates on clean energy news and insights From: Mercom Capital Group European Energy, a renewable energy project developer, announced that it has entered into an agreement with Energix Group to sell 470 MW of solar and wind capacity in Lithuania The capacity consists of a wind project with an estimated capacity of approximately 140 MW and a solar project of up to 330 MW The project is in the pre-ready-to-build stage of development Alight, an independent solar power producer, has secured €46 million (~$48.07 million) of senior debt for its 100 MWp solar project in Eurajoki in Finland The company signed the financing agreement with the banks ABN AMRO and SEB The facility agreement for the Eurajoki solar project will be replicated to finance three additional projects in the company’s pipeline in Finland totaling over 200 MWp and amounting to more than €110 million (~$114.95 million) in debt financing Adapture Renewables, a utility-scale solar and energy storage project developer, secured a $321 million debt facility from Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) comprising a construction loan and a tax credit bridge loan The financing will support the construction and development of the company’s Titanium solar portfolio totaling 441 MW spanning three sites across Arkansas and Illinois Velto Renewables, a renewable power producer backed by the investment group CDPQ, announced a partnership agreement with Q Energy Solutions to acquire a portfolio of renewable energy projects across different European countries from Q ENERGY over the next years As the first transaction under this partnership Velto has acquired a portfolio of solar and wind projects totaling around 130 MW in France European Energy, a renewable energy project developer, secured €68 million (~$72.79 million) in financing to develop a 148 MW solar project in the Ventspils municipality and NORD/LB have agreed to co-finance the project New York-based global alternative asset manager Brookfield Asset Management announced the sale of its 1.6 GW portfolio of solar and wind assets in India to Gentari Renewables India in two phases comprising the sale of 1 GW of operating assets It is Brookfield’s first full-cycle portfolio monetization for its renewable power and transition business in India Click here for reports and trackers on funding and M&A transactions in solar Read last week’s project finance brief. PREVALL POSTSNEXT RELATED POSTS Finland's Onkalo site is almost ready to safely contain nuclear waste for thousands of years Open image viewerThe Onkalo nuclear waste site in Eurajoki has been under construction since 2004 Image: Benjamin Suomela / YleYle News16.1.2023 13:38•Updated 16.1.2023 14:31In about two to three years nuclear waste will no longer be disposed on-site at the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant in Eurajoki it will be buried 455 metres deep in an underground cave-like facility in Onkalo The site will allow spent nuclear fuel rods to be stored safely for millennia after being encased in boron steel canisters and then into a copper capsule The encased canisters will then be placed underground in excavated caverns This method is expected to contain radiation exposure for tens of thousands of years is the first of its kind in the world to safely dispose of nuclear waste permanently it is standard practice in the industry for spent nuclear fuel to be stored on-site near reactors A final licence for waste disposal at Onkalo is expected to be issued in 2024 a radiochemistry professor at the University of Helsinki "It's wonderful pragmatism," Law said describing Finland's decisions on nuclear waste decision-making about the final disposal site has progressed more smoothly than in other countries waste disposal locations have only been finalised in Sweden Law, originally from the UK, pointed to how a similar project fell through in his home country, where the borough of CopelandOpens an external website was willing to host a nuclear waste site "[The county of] Cumbria was afraid that radioactive waste would drive tourists away The geology of the area also raised concerns," said Law the topic of how to deal with nuclear waste brings up strong emotions further adding that Finland's low population density is more favourable than many other countries as it is the least densely populated country in the EU Other countries have also faced obstacles in selecting the location of nuclear waste sites — this past summer Switzerland caused fear across the German border when it excavated test tunnels and the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository in the US has been on hold since the 1980s very sticky when it comes to burying nuclear waste in bedrock," Law pointed out While Finland has struggled with building nuclear power plants like the long-delayed Olkiluoto 3 the construction of the Onkalo site has gone smoothly The excavation site was selected in 2000 and parliament approved it shortly after the firm Posiva began digging out the Onkalo facility Sweden was prepared to create a permanent spent nuclear fuel depository in the 1990s and was supposedly 'ten years ahead' of Finland "Now Finland is ten years ahead of Sweden," Jessica Palmqvist CEO of the Swedish nuclear waste disposal company SKB said in a video call with Yle Sweden has since chosen a final waste disposal site in Forsmark the government approved the construction of the facility The firm SKB is waiting for an environmental permit and approval from Sweden's nuclear authorities "It is difficult to say anything for sure But I believe the construction of the tunnels will start in the late 2020s and final waste disposal will be in the mid-2030s," Palmqvist said a corrosion researcher at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden said that corrosion and pressure can cause copper capsules to crack much more quickly than modelled possibly within the span of up to a 1,000 years The Finnish and Swedish radiation safety authorities do not consider the corrosion threat to be significant Other countries are even further away from Finland and Sweden in terms of a final site they are still looking for a site," Neil Hyatt director of research at the NWS nuclear waste facility in the UK Hyatt last visited the Onkalo site a year ago and was impressed by what he saw "It was inspiring to see how close Onkalo is to deployment When final waste disposal actually starts somewhere the whole spirit of the game changes," Hyatt said Helsinki: Finland's plan to establish the world's first underground nuclear waste disposal took a step forward on Tuesday when its builder Posiva announced a 500-million-euro ($569.55 million) investment in facilities needed for nuclear waste burial owned by Finnish utilities Fortum and Teollisuuden Voima plans to bury used nuclear fuel around 400 metres (1,312 feet) deep in Onkalo bedrock on Olkiluoto island Finland's government has already granted a construction licence for the above-ground encapsulation plant and disposal facility Posiva needs to treat the highly radioactive waste before taking it to the underground waste repository "We expect to award contracts for the most significant works in the near future," Posiva President Janne Mokka said in a statement He estimated the facilities could be operational by mid 2020s the waste will be packed in sealed copper canisters before being transferred into tunnels and further into deposition holes lined with bentonite buffer Finland is not alone in trying to solve the problem of its accumulating nuclear waste The International Atomic Energy Agency estimates that there is now a global stockpile of around a quarter of a million tonnes of highly radioactive spent fuel in some 14 countries "The majority of this spent fuel remains in cooling pools at reactor sites that lack defence-in-depth such as secondary containment and are vulnerable to loss of cooling and in many cases lack independent back-up power," Greenpeace warned in a report earlier this year Sweden has similar plans to store nuclear waste deep underground but the plan got postponed after an environmental court put its safety in question last year including the United States have plans to reduce the physical volume of their mounting nuclear waste but a decades-old U.S plan to bury waste in Nevada's Yucca Mountain has been stopped by local opposition HELSINKI FINLAND JUser: :_load: Unable to load user with ID: 58 the third reactor unit at Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant in Eurajoki TWO SCRAMS, or emergency reactor shutdowns, have occurred during commissioning testing of the third reactor unit at Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant in Eurajoki, Western Finland, reveals the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) The first scram occurred on 14 January and the second on 29 January STUK on Monday underscored that all plant systems functioned as intended during both emergency shutdowns which are a mechanism to ensure the plant does not pose a threat to nuclear safety was so low that they could not be placed on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (INES) The commissioning tests conducted thus far indicate that the reactor unit is safe Teollisuuden Voima (TVO), the operator of Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant, on 3 February announced the start of electricity production by the third unit will be postponed by roughly a month on grounds of development needs detected during the commissioning stage The unit is thus expected to start producing electricity at a roughly 25-per-cent capacity in late February instead of late January Raising the capacity over 30 per cent will require the approval of STUK implement automation related to the adjustment functions of the plant unit and to conduct additional testing related to the changes was detected during the commissioning phase of OL3,” it said “The rectifying measures have been initiated but they will cause a delay in the commissioning schedule.” The unit is presently scheduled to start electricity production at full capacity in July The long-delayed project was originally scheduled for completion in 2009 Advertisement inquiries and other after-sales issues: info@helsinkitimes.fi Helsinki Times is the first and only English language newspaper providing news about Finland in English A weekly print edition of Helsinki Times was published from March 2007 up until Feb Helsinki Times is an online-only publication and other groups and individuals interested in Finland from all around the world © Helsinki Times All rights reserved.  Terms of Use | Privacy Policy harming wildlifeThe Olkiluoto 3 reactor became fully operational in April after a decade-long delay Open image viewerFile photo of the Olkiluoto 3 nuclear power plant. Image: Jari Pelkonen / YleYle News2.6.2023 16:07The Olkiluoto 3 nuclear reactor near Eurajoki in southwest Finland began regular electricity production in April and now produces power at a rate of around 1,600 MW without emitting greenhouse gasses climate groups have pointed to a number of adverse effects the largest reactor in the Nordic region will have on its surrounding environment including the warming of the seawater used to cool the plant and its effects on marine life Open image viewerOlkiluoto 3 is located on Finland's west coast MapCreatorOlkiluoto 3 is by far the largest of the three reactors located at Eurajoki and its operations will almost double the amount of water required to cool the plants the three reactors need around 120-130 cubic metres of cooling water per second This is more than half the average flow of the nearby Kokemäenjoki river and Olkiluoto 3 accounts for about 57 cubic metres of this volume The seawater used to cool the nuclear power plant will also inevitably contain fish and other marine organisms Finland's Administrative Court ordered an investigation to be carried out into the effects of Olkiluoto 3 on the local marine life when regular electricity production began in April The investigation will take place over the coming 12 months and aims to clarify what effect — if any — the nuclear reactors are having on the local ecosystem this means assessing the quantities and species of fish that are transported to the power plants by the cooling water Open image viewerMarine biologist Mika Sivil of the Southwest Finland Ely Centre Image: Hannu Vähämäki / YleThe report will be divided into two parts with smaller fish — less than a centimetre long — collected at one point of the cooling water intake canals and bigger fish examined in filters that collect solids from the cooling water all the fish that are transported with the cooling water die thereby removing a small amount of nutrients from the sea," marine biologist Mika Sivil from the Southwest Finland Ely Centre explained One of the species that suffers most from the intake of cooling water is the perch a freshwater fish popular with Finnish consumers Previous studies have found that a few hundred kilos of perch are destroyed every year by the cooling process but this new survey will provide more information The effects on smaller fish have not been studied before but now we are getting information on them too," Sivil said The seawater used to cool the Olkiluoto nuclear power plants returns to the sea about 10 degrees warmer after passing through the plants This is reflected in the warming of seawater some 3-5 kilometres from the cooling water discharge point Safety Director Veli-Pekka Nurmi of the plant's operator TVO told Yle he does not believe that the start-up of Olkiluoto 3 and the consequential increase in volumes of cooling water will significantly affect the surrounding environment "If it were to happen that we were heating the sea more than is allowed We have not yet come close to such a situation," Nurmi said Open image viewerTVO's Safety Director Veli-Pekka Nurmi Image: Katja Halinen / YleThe plant's permit conditions dictate that the temperature of the sea water must not exceed 30 degrees Celsius at a distance of 500 metres from the discharge channel The permit conditions also limit the amount of seawater used for cooling and the heat load it can generate TVO has so far been well below the maximum levels set by the permit about 3.3 million cubic metres of seawater were used for cooling compared with the maximum volume of about 4.4 million cubic metres as per the permit Would you like a roundup of the week's top stories in your inbox every Thursday? Then sign up to receive our weekly email services and collaboration opportunities for researchers preparations are underway to start the disposal of spent nuclear fuel in the Finnish bedrock next year – as the first place in the world nuclear fuel becomes strongly radiating and dangerous waste. It contains a large amount of uranium and plutonium which are building blocks for nuclear weapons. All these materials must be intact when the fuel rods are stored in their final deposit. This is why they must be meticulously and dependably measured before depositing them.  we can be sure of what is being deposited in the bedrock and that all nuclear materials will remain in peaceful use,” says visiting researcher Riina Virta at the University of Helsinki All the important information must be gathered before the final disposal. The measurements must also be stored in a way that will be accessible and understandable to human beings for thousands Riina Virta has studied measuring methods for nuclear waste at the University of Helsinki in cooperation with the Helsinki Institute of Physics (HIP). Virta also works as an inspector in the nuclear materials safeguards section of the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority.  an imaging method called passive gamma emission tomography which measures the gamma radiation emitted by spent nuclear fuel. Nuclear fuel consists of rods which are gathered into an assembly to act as a fuel element. The PGET instrument can produce an exact cross-section image of the fuel assembly The cross-section image allows us to check that the assembly still retains all the rods. The challenging thing with this method is that the fuel dampens the radiation very efficiently.  the radiation from the middle of the assembly just barely reaches the detector We wanted to fix this problem in our research.” by developing the collection of data and using that data more wisely. The method was also developed so that the instrument can be used as well. This makes it adaptable to the Finnish plants taking care of the final disposal. The research also developed software tools to make the operative application of the method easier.  The performance of the method was proven with the help of an extensive library of field measurements carried out in Finnish nuclear power plants.  “This means the method has been studied in detail and found to work well and now we are just waiting for the operations of final disposal to start in Olkiluoto,” says Virta Riina Virtariina.virta@stuk.fi+358 50 4713 550 STUK: Final information of disposed spent nuclear fuel with Finnish methods Yliopisto magazine: Kuinka varmistetaan, että ydinjäte on tallessa? Riina Virta’s column: Tarkka kuva ydinpolttoainenipusta ennen loppusijoitusta Video from the Science Corner (26 April 2022): Kurkistus ydinpolttoaineen sisälle | Riina Virta Video (22 December 2021): Tiedetuutti 3: ydinpolttoaine TVO said it may consider applying for a new decision-in-principle for the reactor in the future The board of the energy company consortium behind the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant in Eurajoki has proposed scrapping plans to seek a  construction permit for a fourth reactor The validity of a previous decision-in-principle for the construction of the reactor will end in June if the company doesn’t apply for the permit The board will put the proposal to shareholders during an extraordinary general meeting One reason behind the decision to shelve the fourth reactor has been the cloud of delays litigation and cost overruns hanging over the nuclear facility’s third reactor Olkiluoto 3 was due to come online back in 2009 Now the French contractor Areva is saying that the reactor will be operational in 2018 – nine years after the original completion date Over the years TVO and Areva have also been embroiled in legal wrangling over who is ultimately to blame for the delays and the ballooning budget Last year TVO sought an extension to the period for filing an application to begin construction of Olkiluoto 4 however the government turned down the request The decision-in-principle to construct the fourth reactor was granted back in 2010 by the administration of then- Centre Party PM Matti Vanhanen However it will expire if TVO does not apply for a construction permit by the end of June this year The company said that it will consider seeking a new decision-in-principle at some point in the future “Finland still has a need for the production of emission-free power Olkiluoto 4 is an important project for us and we will maintain our readiness to apply for a new decision-in-principle We will decide on that application separately,” said TVO chief executive Jarmo Tanhua Any new decision-in-principle would have to be given the green light by the Parliament Nordic energy giant Fortum is also considering construction of a new nuclear reactor MPs voted in favour of the construction of another nuclear power plant in Pyhäjoki despite concerns in Finland and Sweden over possible harmful environmental impacts The plant is to be operated by another energy consortium The facility will be delivered by the Russian state-owned nuclear contractor Rosatom Canada:  Floating nuclear power stations for Arctic? Finland: Three taken into custody at nuclear protest in Pyhäjoki Norway: Three years on, still no deal on nuclear accident warning for Norway Russia: Sunken Soviet submarines threaten massive radioactive contamination Sweden:  Sweden’s environment minister wants nuclear reactors closed For more news from Finland visit Yle News Energy The paper mountain helps explain why the reactor, which should have cost €3bn (£2.72bn) and been working this year, will now miss its revised completion date of mid-2012 and will cost at least €5.3bn. In the latest delay, Finland's nuclear safety regulator halted welding on the reactor last week and criticised poor oversight by the sub-contractor, supplier and TVO. Areva claims TVO does not trust it to modify the fiendishly complex design as it sees fit, demanding documentation and approval from regulators for every change, however small. TVO says Areva is treating the new reactor as an R&D project in which the Finns are guinea pigs. TVO and Areva are now locked in arbitration over the cost overrun and damages. If TVO loses, Finnish consumers will pick up the tab. Worryingly for the UK, Areva intends to build at least four of these reactors in Britain. The government wants to replace those being decommissioned as well as provide a secure and low-carbon supply of electricity. The project was supposed to be a model for how modern reactors would be built. The industry's history of massive cost overruns, government bailouts and subsidies have provided ammunition to campaigners who claim the economics of nuclear power do not add up. The construction of the new generation of reactors would be different: this time, nuclear power would pay for itself. Yet already cracks are appearing in these claims, especially in the UK. Nuclear plants are far more expensive to build than coal or gas but have lower fuel costs. The economics of all three vary according to the prices of the fuel and increasingly, of carbon. When coal prices are high, gas plants become more cost effective, and vice versa. When both fuels are costly – which also drives up the wholesale price of electricity – nuclear can undercut coal and gas. Since the government began reconsidering its position on nuclear four years ago, the economics have become more unfavourable. The cost of building a reactor has soared, partly as a result of the Finland debacle but also because of higher steel and other construction costs. According to Simon Harrison, energy director at Mott MacDonald, the price of new reactors being quoted to utilities at the end of 2008 had increased almost three-fold from 2005, although costs are expected to fall as a utility orders more reactors. As a result, the industry is rethinking its plans on nuclear. The Guardian has learned that, following lobbying by the nuclear industry – and from EDF Energy in particular – the government is preparing to intervene and prop up the carbon price. This will raise the cost of operating coal and gas plants – and of electricity – relative to nuclear. The Conservative party has similar plans. Political parties and companies such as EDF Energy deny that a carbon tax would be a subsidy for the nuclear industry. They point out that it would also benefit other low-carbon forms of power. But wind farms already receive hefty subsidies and clean coal technology is not yet proven. Whatever the politicians say in public, it is widely believed that the nuclear industry is intended to be the principal beneficiary, initially at least. It is disingenuous of the government and the industry to claim that this time there will be no subsidy for nuclear. Both seem so intent to break with the past that they have forgotten that the imperative to curb carbon emissions means every form of generation is now subject to financial subsidies or penalties. If the economics of nuclear don't work, it is clear that politicians – as they have done in the past – will make sure they do. As an executive of one large energy company in the UK told the Guardian: "There has always been intervention by governments in nuclear. 'Subsidy' has become an all-encompassing word. When you drill down into it, you realise it's meaningless. When you have a policy of carbon abatement, the consumer will always pay in the end." Open image viewerFile photos of the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant in Western Finland's municipality of Eurajoki, and a Russian passport. Image: Ruuti Kotkanoja / YleYle News31.1. 12:42•Updated 31.1. 17:46Dima is a high school student in Helsinki. In November, his class planned a field trip to the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant. But, Dima, who's a citizen of both Finland and Russia, learned that he wouldn't be able to visit the facility because he was born in Russia. The teen received the news in a message on the school communications platform Wilma, according to his mother, Anastasia. "Hi, I received information from Olkiluoto that due to corporate security and the current world situation, you will not be able to participate in the visit to Olkiluoto, because you were born in Russia. This is a strict security policy that unfortunately cannot be influenced," the Wilma message read. "What happened to us is downright absurd," Anastasia told Yle Novosti, the public broadcaster's Russian-language news unit. "Does the nuclear power plant's management really think that a child could be a spy? What is the purpose of the ban? In what way is my son responsible for the 'world situation'? This is a completely racist, absurd and illegal justification for not allowing a pupil to go on a field trip," the mother continued. The names of the teen and his mother were changed to protect their privacy. Yle has viewed correspondence between the family and the school, and has also confirmed that Dima holds both Finnish and Russian citizenship. Dima attends the Kulosaari Secondary School, a private, publicly funded institution in Helsinki. The school's principal, Minnariitta Raitio, told Yle Novosti that everyone who was going on the nuclear plant field trip had to fill out a security form in advance. She said that the form asked for personal information of the visitors. "After this, Olkiluoto notified us about who would be able to visit," Raitio explained. The nuclear facility's communications manager, Johanna Aho, commented on the matter by email. Her email stated that the company has decided not to permit Russian or Belarusian citizens to visit the nuclear plant, adding that the decision was based on corporate security risk assessments. "Of course, [such guests] could go to the visitor centre, but visits to the facilities are not possible," Aho's email read. Yle Novosti contacted Supo, the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service, to ask whether nuclear power facilities are able to restrict visitors based on their citizenship. Supo communications specialist, Irene Zidan, said that the agency does not publicly comment on individual cases. However, she noted that the agency has not issued guidelines about tightening security measures at strategic sites. According to Zidan, operators of critical infrastructure are responsible for their own security arrangements, and therefore are responsible for policies regarding visitors. Zidan said that there are no laws or other guidelines that restrict dual citizens from visiting critical infrastructure sites. "Supo is in constant dialogue with various sectors, but according to our official duties, we do not issue regulations regarding security arrangements," she said. A special expert at the Office of the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman, Matti Jutila, also said the office could not comment on individual cases. However, Jutila pointed to legislation that says policies on treating people differently must be law-based. In an email, Jutila wrote that the Equality Act says that the different treatment of people must have an "acceptable goal", and the means to achieve such goals must be proportionate. "If this isn't the case, the different treatment could constitute discrimination," he said. However, in certain cases, Jutila's email stated that different treatment does not necessarily require legislation to guide such treatment, "but even then, it must have an acceptable goal, from a human rights point of view". Jutila suggested that the student or his parent in this case can contact the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman's office about the incident. "So that we can assess in more detail whether intervention by the ombudsman is required in the matter," Jutila's email read. 5.46 pm: Removed erroneous reference to boy's age. dealers buying all they can getMost recycled metals in Finland go back into the domestic market but some are shipped off to Asia and the Middle East delivered a load of scrap metal to Eurajoki on a cold first day of December Image: Tapio Termonen / YleYle News4.12.2021 12:21The price of scrap metal is currently higher than ever whose company Eurajoen Romu has a 25-hectare scrapyard filled with bicycle frames it is the largest operation of its kind in the country "There's traffic in and out of here all the time people with trailers," Luodesmeri says Open image viewerApproximately 150 thousand tonnes of scrap metal pass through the Eurajoen Romu site every year Image: Tapio Termonen / YleFactories and technologyA massive amount of metal passes through the Eurajoen Romu scrapyard every year "Quite a lot of old technology and factories are being dismantled at the moment A fair amount comes in from recycling collection Open image viewerBoth companies and private individuals drop off scrap because the yard can sort different metals with high precision While the end product is sent off mainly to the domestic market for processing there are relative few metal refineries in Finland Then the metals are shipped to the Far Eastern market and from the Port of Rauma to Turkey," Luodesmeri says China and Turkey are the world's most important markets for scrap metals the Turkish market determines the price level in Europe," Luodesmeri explains Open image viewerThe end product is fine-grained crushed metal that is sold domestic industries Image: Tapio Termonen / YlePrices bouncing backWhen the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic hit stock markets and commodity prices plummeted I don't know that the price of the metal would have ever been so high before," Juuso Luodesmeri points out the prices are being affected by a construction boom in the United States but now it has restarted and the stock markets have also been on the rise This has affected the price of the metals." Inflation exceeds 3% for first time in nearly a decadePublished 20212021European Commission upgrades forecast for Finnish economyPublished 20212021Sources: Yle Teollisuuden Voima (TVO) has assured that the work on a third reactor at the Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant will continue as usual regardless of its concerns about the uncertainty surrounding the plant supplier Helsingin Sanomat reported earlier this week that the nuclear power company has sent a letter to the European Commission expressing its “grave concerns” about the impact of the mooted state-backed bailout of the plant supplier “It's nothing out of the ordinary,” insists Pasi Tuohimaa “Areva is committed to complete the project and it seems to be going well We've simply voiced our concerns that the importance of completing Olkiluoto 3 is borne in mind as France re-organises its nuclear power industry,” he explains - HS: TVO worried about further delays at Olkiluoto (27 September Areva announced in March that it has decided with EDF a majority state-owned nuclear power company a state-funded energy research organisation to establish the French Nuclear Platform (PFN) by the end of the year in an attempt to enhance its efficiency TVO is monitoring closely how the re-organisation of the nuclear industry progresses in France “We're supportive of the re-organisation of the nuclear power industry in France It's good for us if [the industry] is healthy also in the future because it isn't going anywhere In any case we're married to those institutions for 60 years,” he says He also stresses that the expansion project is progressing well There's co-operation and the work is moving forward We hope that that also remains the case because we're in the final stages of the project,” says Tuohimaa TVO continues to expect that the third nuclear power unit will be completed by the end of 2018 Aleksi Teivainen – HTPhoto: TVOSource: Uusi Suomi The three-unit Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant in Eurajoki said earlier this month that the two plant suppliers have injected an additional 80 million euros into a fund set up to ensure the completion of activities during the warranty period THE THIRD REACTOR of Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant has been a financial disaster for the two plant suppliers, France’s Areva and Germany’s Siemens, writes Helsingin Sanomat communicated last week that the suppliers have pledged to inject an additional 80 million euros in capital into a fund set up to guarantee the completion of activities during the warranty period “The funds reserved for their completion in the fund mechanism were depleted in the autumn of 2024” the company wrote in a press release issued on 12 December The third plant unit has experienced numerous faults and disruptions since it was officially inaugurated in 2022 TVO ordered the plant from the suppliers under a turnkey agreement for a fixed price of roughly three billion euros more than 20 years ago The groundbreaking ceremony was held in 2005 the unit was completed 14 years behind schedule with the original budget comfortably exceeded The unit began commercial electricity production in mid-2023 Helsingin Sanomat on 12 December reminded that Areva estimated already in 2012 that the plant would ultimately cost around 8.5 billion euros The endeavour eventually bankrupt the company resulting in intense talks in 2016 as the French government decided to incorporate healthy parts of the company into the state-owned Électricité de France (EDF) The concern was that the plant supplier would not be left with the funds and expertise to complete the project the plant supplier consortium agreed to capitalise the fund mechanism set up to ensure the project’s completion with 709 million euros was estimated to suffice for the construction work and activities during the warranty period TVO was also promised 450 million euros in compensation for the delays Areva committed an additional 600 million euros to the fund TVO in 2018 estimated that the third reactor unit will cost it a total of 5.5 billion euros consortium agree on completion of long-delayed Olkiluoto 3 reactorThe nuclear reactor was originally scheduled to begin producing electricity in 2009 Open image viewerFile photo of the Olkiluoto 3 (OL3) nuclear reactor in Eurajoki Image: Yle/Peter PetreliusYle News18.5.2021 11:29Nuclear power utility Teollisuuden Voima (TVO) and the Areva-Siemens plant supplier consortium have agreed on the exact terms for the completion of the Olkiluoto 3 (OL3) nuclear reactor in Eurajoki the companies announced in a press release Negotiations began last summer over additional funding needed by the consortium to finish the long-delayed nuclear reactor project The terms agreed by the parties include the consortium's trust mechanism being further capitalised by approximately 600 million euros and that both TVO and the consortium will cover their own costs from the beginning of July to the end of February next year If the companies in the consortium do not complete the project by the end of February they will pay an additional fee to TVO depending on the completion date The agreement is due to be signed by the end of May OL3's sister reactor, Olkiluoto 2, made headlines in December 2020 after an emergency shutdown caused by warm water entering the reactor's cleaning system Electricity production from the third reactor is scheduled to begin in October when the unit is connected to the national grid. Fuel was loaded into the reactor in March Regular production of electricity is scheduled to begin in February next year the OL3 reactor is expected to produce around 14 percent of Finland’s electricity Swedish-based solar assets developer, operator and manager, Alight, has secured €46 million in funding for its 100 MWp solar park in Finland. This will be Alight’s first solar park project in Finland. As part of a signed facility agreement with ABN AMRO and SEB this will feature as part of a framework designed to finance the construction of more than 300 MWp of solar parks in Finland The announced €46 million funding in debt will cater for the construction of Eurajoki solar park The Eurajoki solar park project started construction earlier this year and expects completion by 2026. Once operational, Alight’s first solar park in Finland will join a host of other projects aimed at reducing Eurajoki’s carbon print. These include projects like one of Finland’s two nuclear power plants, the Olkiluoto 3 nuclear power plant Alight’s €46 million funding for the 100 MWp Eurajoki solar park will produce about 100 Gwh This will power up to 20,000 homes with fossil-free solar energy The solar park is also expected to open up construction job roles as the phase progresses The Dutch and Swedish lenders facilitating the solar project will also play a financier role for three other Alight projects These are near-term Finnish solar pipeline which will host more than 200MWp of energy and see to an influx of €100 million in debt financing The whole financing framework was put in place to increase Finland’s solar energy capacity by approximately 25%. This will greatly up Finland’s solar energy capacity from the current 1.2GW according to the country’s solar energy association The funding has seen sentiments as one “financing green transition” from Alight’s CEO the €46 million funding for its first 100MWp solar park in Finland is out to finance green transition indeed Alight’s CEO also mentioned of the company’s bright and powered future stating the possibility of having another array of more than 800MW of solar projects in Finland “[…] We look forward to strengthening our existing relationship with SEB and establishing strong ties with ABN AMRO “Backing Alight’s 300+ MWp portfolio will be nothing short of transformative for the country’s energy landscape.” Tuomas is SEB’s Head of Project & Infrastructure finance for Finland Also read: UK’s BOOM Power and South Korea’s Topsun partner for 50 MW low farm solar farm in West Yorkshire Also read: Cypress Creek Renewables to Build 80 MW Solar Plant in Yakima County Welcome to Construction Review a portal that serves the building and construction industry through our blog social media presence and print publication Contact us Guest Posting Take down policy