Olkiluoto 3 power unit to join reserve markets in Finland

Starting in early September, Teollisuuden Voima’s Olkiluoto 3 power unit will join the reserve markets. According to TVO’s announcement, this involvement in Fingrid’s downward regulation capacity market will help balance the electricity grid during instances of excess power generation.

Previously, the Olkiluoto nuclear power plants did not participate in the regulation market. However, OL3 has been designed to adjust electricity output, allowing for a temporary reduction in production levels when necessary.

TVO has noted a growing frequency of situations in Finland’s electricity system where generation exceeds consumption. This trend has created a need for additional downward-regulating production capacity. With this new solution, OL3 will effectively enhance support for the electricity system compared to previous capabilities.

The share of OL3 participating in the reserve market represents only a small fraction of its total production capacity. Furthermore, this participation will not impact the normal electricity production from the Olkiluoto plants.