Areva admits mistakes in Finland’s Olkiluoto 3 nuclear project

Luc Oursel, chief executive of the French nuclear power contractor Areva, still believes the company will meet the 2014 deadline for completion of the Olkiluoto 3 nuclear power plant under construction in southwest Finland.

The head of the French nuclear power developer Areva has admitted that mistakes were made during construction of the Olkiluoto 3 nuclear power plant in Eurajoki in southwest Finland.

The plant was commissioned by the public power consortium Teollisuuden Voima (TVO) and has been under construction for the past seven years.

Interviewed by the business magazine Talouselämä, chief executive Luc Oursel noted that there had been misunderstandings between Areva, TVO, and the Radiation Safety Authority. He said that in some cases Areva didn’t have precise information on what was expected of the company in terms of supervision and documentation.

“On the other hand, Areva should have started the construction work at a more advanced stage in the engineering planning,” Oursel said in the interview.

In spite of the challenges with the project, Oursel held to his prediction that the number 3 reactor at Olkilouto would be completed by the end of 2014. He noted that the company expected to install the reactor’s fuel rods by the end of next year, allowing the operator TVO to fire up the plant on schedule.

However TVO has publicly questioned Areva’s forecast and has instead predicted that the plant is more likely to be operational in 2015 at the earliest.

Areva is currently engaged in three other Olkiluoto-type nuclear projects in other countries.

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