CORRECTED-UPDATE 2-Olkiluoto 3 nuke plant may be delayed further -TVO
* Areva says plans fuel load by end 2012* Both blame each other for delaysHELSINKI/PARIS, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Finnish utility firm
Teollisuuden Voima (TVO) blamed supplier Areva for
further delays to the construction of its Olkiluoto 3 nuclear
power plant which may further push back operations to 2014.The 1,600 megawatt plant Olkiluoto 3, Finland’s fifth
nuclear reactor, was originally scheduled to start operations in
2009 but delays and soaring costs meant TVO revised its start
date to 2013.TVO said its plant supplier, a consortium originally formed
by France’s Areva and Siemens AG (SIEGn.DE), had informed it of
delays in building the reactor’s automation system and in
installing piping and electrical systems.TVO and Areva-Siemens disagree over who is responsible for
the delays and have taken a dispute over payment to the
International Chamber of Commerce.Areva on Wednesday denied the delay was its fault, saying it
still plans to load nuclear fuel at Olkiluoto 3 by the end of
next year and that the exact timing depends on authorisation
from TVO and Finland’s nuclear safety authority.Areva Chief Executive Luc Oursel said he was surprised by
TVO’s announcement.”We are at this moment working with them on the details of
the schedule,” Oursel told reporters. “I am surprised by this
premature statement that doesn’t correspond to the spirit of the
partnership and cooperation that I wish to see on this
construction site.”On Tuesday, Oursel said it was well positioned to build more
nuclear reactors in Finland after learning lessons from delays
and cost overruns on existing projects.TVO and Finnish nuclear consortium Fennovoima are planning
to build Finland’s sixth and the seventh reactors in the next
decade and are expected to choose contractors in the next few
years.Areva blamed TVO’s “inertia” in validating technical
documents before passing them to the Finnish nuclear safety
authority. But it has also encountered engineering issues.The reactor is the first of its kind, with a double
containment building, a compartment isolating the molten core,
six back-up diesel generators and four back-up cooling systems
which Areva says would have withstood the earthquake and tsunami
that struck Japan’s Fukushima plant in March.TVO said it wants an updated project schedule.”The plant supplier is responsible for the time schedule.
TVO is continuing to provide support to the plant supplier to
complete the project as soon as possible without compromising
safety and quality,” TVO’s project director Jouni Silvennoinen
said in a statement.