FORTUM LAUNCHES ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT (EIA) PROCESS FOR LOVIISA POWER PLANT AREA

Press release 4 June 2007

Fortum has launched an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process regarding a new, 1000-1800 MW nuclear power plant to be built at Hästholmen island. The purpose of the Loviisa 3 project is to increase the production of environmentally-benign, domestic energy that is cost-effective to produce.

The EIA process is required before for a possible application for a decision in principle on the new nuclear power unit. In the first phase of the process, the EIA programme will be compiled for submission to the Ministry of Trade and Industry by the end of June 2007. Once the Ministry’s statement on the programme has been received, work on the actual EIA report can begin. Fortum will submit its Loviisa EIA report to the Ministry of Trade and Industry in June 2008.

Among other things, the EIA evaluates the new nuclear power plant’s impacts on the environment, on the health and safety of people, and on the local community and economy. Special attention is focused on evaluating the environmental impact of the cooling water.

By launching the EIA process, Fortum is preparing for the construction of new, climate-benign and domestic energy production. Curbing climate change is one of society’s most critical challenges and to combat it, energy conservation as well as investments into renewable energy sources and carbon dioxide-free energy production, such as nuclear power, is needed. Fortum is among Europe’s cleanest power companies. More than 80% of the electricity generated by Fortum is carbon dioxide-free and more than 40% comes from renewable energy sources.

Nuclear power is a climate-benign form of energy that does not generate carbon dioxide emissions. If the 206 TWh of nuclear power generated during Loviisa power plant’s 30 years of operation would have been generated in a modern coal condensing plant, 173 million tonnes of carbon dioxide would have been released into the atmosphere.

Fortum has responsibly produced nuclear energy as part of the local Loviisa community for more than 30 years.

Fortum Corporation
Corporate Communications

For more information:
Heikki Raumolin, Director, tel. +358 (0)50-4533991
Reko Rantamäki, Project Manager, tel. +358 (0)40 829 7587
Peter Tuominen, Development and Communications Manager, tel. +358 (0)50 452 4760