Annual outages completed in Olkiluoto
The annual outages have been concluded in Olkiluoto for this year. They ended yesterday, Friday, May 19th at 2:00 PM, when the Olkiluoto 2 power unit (OL2) was connected to the national grid. However, due to a turbine fault, the plant had to disconnect soon after connecting and was able to resume electricity production today, Saturday, May 20th at 3:59 PM. The refuelling outage at the Olkiluoto 1 plant unit (OL1) was completed already on 26 April. The total duration of the annual outages at both the OL1 and OL2 plant units was about four weeks.
The outage at OL2 started on 1 May and took 17 days 20 hours.
The most significant modifications during the maintenance outage included the upgrading of the turbine automation system, the replacement of electrical feedthrough modules in the containments as well as the modification of the reactor water level measurement system and the replacement of emergency fans for the off-gas filter system.
This year, it was Olkiluoto 2's turn for a more extensive maintenance outage while a refuelling outage was carried out at the Olkiluoto 1 unit. The two outage types are conducted at the OL1 and OL2 plant units in alternate years.
The refuelling outage at OL1 took 10 days 3 hours.
According to Plant Manager Nina Paaso, the annual outages went well and in accordance with this year's outage slogan "Operational reliability safely".
-The safe execution of the annual outages to a high standard is based on careful planning, TVO's strong expertise and experience, cooperation across organisational boundaries, professional subcontractors and the correct attitude of everyone involved, Nina Paaso sums up.
In addition to TVO's own personnel, some 1,200 employees of subcontractors took part in the annual outage works. About two hundred experts in special fields travelled to Olkiluoto from abroad.
The refuelling and maintenance outages carried out at the plant units annually ensure that a good level of production and operability is maintained at the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant at all times.
Teollisuuden Voima Oyj has produced electricity for its shareholders, Finnish industrial and energy companies, safely and reliably for over 40 years. Nuclear electricity generated at TVO's Olkiluoto plant covers approximately 30 percent of Finland’s electricity demand once Olkiluoto 3’s regular electricity production has started. Climate-friendly nuclear electricity not only benefits society but also reduces the environmental impact of energy production. Moreover, the world's first final disposal facility for spent nuclear fuel is under construction in Olkiluoto.
