OL3 Finland delays to provide valuable lessons and guidance to future EPR projects worldwide

By Peter Taberner on Aug 1, 2012

The final date of operation for Finland's seminal Olkiluoto 3 (OL3) plant is hanging in the balance, but that should not detract from what is a flagship project that has the potential to shape differently Finnish society and its clean energy possibilities.

OL3’s outstanding feature is the use of the European Pressurised Reactor (EPR), that has been designed from the most contemporary technologies across Europe.
The EPR reactor is a 1,650 MWe Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR), and is a global first as a generation III plus PWR design, and has evolved from the research of the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), and the Karlsruhe Research Centre in Germany http://www.tvo.fi/video/en.html .
The blueprint
It’s a blueprint that stems from the proven French N4 and German KONVOI reactors from AREVA and Siemens, who are also responsible for implementing OL3, and the EPR is set to fortify safety standards further.
A four sub-system method is to be employed by the plant, that can each perform individually taking control of full safety procedures for the plant if necessary, with all of the systems physically separated from each other.
The safety elements include a heavy neutron reflector surrounding the reactor core to improve fuel utilization and protect reactor pressure vessel against aging, and even an outer Airplane Crash shell, that protects the reactor building, the used fuel building and two of the four safeguard buildings in the event of a collision from above.
Additionally, the plant can boast a core catcher that allows passive collection and retention of the molten core should the reactor vessel fail in the unlikely event of a core melt. Also, an axial economizer within each steam generator enabling higher steam pressure and plant efficiency.
There will also be an up to date information provider, with a user friendly computer control room to provide any news necessary in almost a ‘news reel’ fashion.