Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant’s Unit 3 repair expected to delay restoration of electricity production in Finland

The repair of an issue identified in the Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant’s Unit 3 is expected to take longer than initially estimated, according to recent updates. Current information indicates that electricity production at the facility should resume on Friday. Previously, there was an expectation that the turbine malfunction affecting OL3 could be fixed by Thursday.

Power generation was halted on Sunday, November 17, due to this turbine issue. Earlier this week, the company’s communication officer provided insights, explaining that the production disruption was triggered by an automatic reactor response to a problem with the seals in the generator’s lubrication system. This automatic response serves to protect the operation of the plant by preventing the issue from escalating.

The Olkiluoto plant faced a similar interruption in September when Unit 2 was out of service for nearly a month due to a rotor fault in the generator. Additionally, Unit 3 experienced operational problems in early October, when its production reached levels close to its maximum capacity. At that time, the unit was operating at a power level of 1,500 megawatts, just shy of its maximum output of approximately 1,600 megawatts.