Finland’s last nuclear project?
Prime Minister Juha Sipilä says it’s unlikely that his government will approve any new nuclear power plants after the Fennovoima project, reports the regional daily Keskisuomalainen.
In an interview with Keskisuomalainen, Prime Minister Juha Sipilä stated that the Fennovoima project could be Finland’s last nuclear power plant. However Sipilä stressed that no firm decisions had been made on the issue.
Sipilä said that it seemed unlikely that any new proposals for nuclear power plants would come up for consideration during the current government’s term in office.
Sipilä added that during government formation talks he had conducted a straw poll among prospective coalition partners. It was on this basis that he said it was “very unlikely that anything further would happen on this front.”
“There are no applications or any discussions ongoing about nuclear power permits,” Sipilä remarked.
Bio-energy possibilities
Sipilä’s government programme has made no mention of nuclear power; rather, it has highlighted the possibilities of the bio-energy sector.
Sipilä’s comments come in the wake of an announcement by state-owned energy giant Fortum and other new Finnish investors that they would come onboard Fennovoima’s proposed nuclear power project to be located in Pyhäjoki, northwest Finland.
The announcement gave the project a new lease on life, as it secured the 60 percent EU or domestic shareholding required for government to consider a building permit for the plant.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Floating nuclear power stations for Arctic?, Radio Canada International
Finland: Finland nuclear project will go ahead, Yle News
Norway: Three years on, still no deal on nuclear accident warning for Norway, Barents Observer
Russia: Russian hydropower key to Finnish nuclear plant deal, Barents Observer
Sweden: Sweden’s environment minister wants nuclear reactors closed, Radio Sweden
United States: Let locals decide fate of Arctic drilling says U.S. politician, Alaska Dispatch News
