Hanhikivi 1 nuclear power plant is being constructed at Pyhajoki in the northern part of Finland. The 1.2GW power project will represent the biggest investment in the country to date.
The nuclear power plant will be developed by Finnish nuclear power company Fennovoima with an estimated investment between €6.5bn ($7.3bn) and €7bn ($7.9bn).
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Pre-construction activities are ongoing at the project site, while construction is expected to be commenced upon receiving construction license from the Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK).
Fennovoima submitted the construction license application for the nuclear power plant to the STUK in 2015 and is currently preparing design and safety-related documentation. The company expects to receive construction approval by 2021 and commence operations by 2028.
The plant will be capable of producing 9TWh of electricity a year and will have an operational life of 60 years.
Hanhikivi 1 nuclear power plant location
The power plant is being developed on the coast of the Baltic Sea in the Pyhajoki village located in Hanhikivi Peninsula, North Ostrobothnia, Finland.
The site was chosen due to a number of favorable factors such as stable bedrock, low seismic values, and less population. Further, the cooling water required during the power generation can be easily sourced from the sea.
Hanhikivi 1 nuclear power plant make-up
The design of the Hanhikivi nuclear power plant will be based on the Leningrad nuclear power plant located in Sosnovy Bor, Russia. The plant will comprise one 1,200MW VVER-1200 nuclear reactor.
The nuclear reactor core will have a rated thermal power of 3,200MW and a thermal efficiency of approximately 37%. The VVER nuclear reactor units will consist of 163 fuel assemblies along with 121 control rods.
The power plant will also include a turbine-generator set comprising one high-pressure turbine, one intermediate pressure turbine, and three low-pressure turbines integrated with a power generator unit.
The turbine unit will be based on Alstom’s Arabelle technology, while the generator unit will be based on the Gigatop 4-pole technology.
The turbine and generator units will have an overall length of 80m and a total weight of 2,500t. The units will be installed on the same shaft, which will have a speed of 1,500rpm.
Power transmission from Hanhikivi 1
The electricity generated by the nuclear power plant will be supplied to the Hanhela and Valkeus substations through 110kV and 400kV transmission lines.
The transmission lines will be constructed in Pyhajoki and Raahe municipalities.
Contractors involved
Rusatom Energy International (earlier, Rusatom Overseas) was awarded the engineering, procurement, and construction contract for the Hanhikivi 1 nuclear power plant.
Titan-2 was selected as the main contractor for the project, while Gidropress, a subsidiary of Rusatom, was chosen for designing the VVER nuclear reactor.
Atomenergomash was contracted to manufacture the nuclear reactor, while Alstom Power Systems, a part of GE Steam Power Systems, was chosen to supply the turbine-generator units.
TVEL will be responsible for providing the nuclear fuel for the power plant, under a €450m ($521m) contract signed with Fennovoima.
Suomen Maastorakentajat was awarded a contract, worth €5m ($5.8m), for the construction of a 4km-long two-lane access road for the project.
Finnish companies Puhuri and Fingrid will be responsible for connecting the plant to the national power grid.
Other contractors and suppliers involved in the project are Terramare, Wasa Dredging, Ruskon Betoni, Atomproekt, Destia, Rolls Royce, Schneider Electric, Siemens, Terramare, Wasa Dredging, Geobotnia, and Saanio & Riekkola.
