Power utility Fortum has submitted to the Finnish government an application for a decision-in-principle concerning the construction of a new nuclear power plant unit on the island of Hastholmen in Loviisa, Finland.
According to the company, it has already two nuclear power plant units on the island. As per the plan, the new unit will be operational in 2020. The application presents five different plant alternatives, all of which are expected to fulfill stringent Finnish safety standards once completed.
Construction of the nuclear power plant unit reduces dependency on energy imports, replaces retiring electricity production in the coming decades and ensures CO2-free and stable base-load electricity production at a predictable cost in Finland.
The energy company said that Loviisa-3 will be designed to allow for combined heat and power production. The location in the vicinity of the Helsinki metropolitan area offers possibilities for utilization of district heat.
In addition to nuclear power, Fortum is promoting renewable energy production, such as hydro and wind power and the utilisation of biomass-fuels, and energy conservation. With these methods, it is possible to achieve carbon dioxide-free electricity production. Today over 90% of Fortum’s power generation in the EU is carbon dioxide-free, claims the company.
