All alternative regions favor Fennovoima’s project

Fennovoima has the support of all three of its alternative locations. In the most northern of them Simo, located in Lapland, the municipal council decided to favor building Fennovoima’s nuclear power plant in Simo. The council emphasized for example the employment effects of Fennovoima’s project. The region surrounding Simo has suffered from people constantly moving to other parts of Finland, and also the unemployment rates have risen. The municipal council of Fennovoima’s two other alternative locations, Pyhäjoki and Ruotsinpyhtää gave their backup to the project earlier. These three statements are the most meaningful achievement of Fennovoima’s project so far. The favorable statements are crucial to the project, since a positive view of the municipality is required in order for the project to advance. Fennovoima continues land use planning and technical designing in all three municipalities. In the fall the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority gives its own statement about the suitability of the locations. In addition to the favorable statements given by the locations, almost all of their neighboring municipalities also gave the same kind of statements. Fennovoima’s tax revenues and at best several thousand jobs benefit the whole region. The next main goal for Fennovoima is to get a positive Decision-in-Principle from the Government which should be made in the beginning of 2010. After this the Government’s decision needs to be passed by the Parliament. Fennovoima will choose the eventual location for its plant based on the decision of the Government and start the construction work in 2012. The Ministry of Employment and the Economy requested statements concerning Fennovoima's Decision-in-Principle application from some 80 authorities and other instances. Besides them every party willing was able to give their opinion concerning the matter in two months time, yesterday at the latest.