Olkiluoto 3 aims to extend maintenance intervals with new fuel

Finnish nuclear operator Teollisuuden Voima (TVO) has signed an eight-year extension with Framatome to supply fuel for the Olkiluoto 3 reactor, with plans to adopt more efficient nuclear fuel once regulatory approvals are secured, Yle reports.

The reactor currently undergoes maintenance every 18 months, but TVO’s fuel unit head Tuomas Rantala said intervals could gradually extend to two years if no other factors require more frequent stops. The next scheduled maintenance begins on 10 September this year.

Olkiluoto 3, located in Eurajoki, began regular electricity production in spring 2023 after a 14-year delay from its original schedule. The reactor uses 241 fuel assemblies, with partial replacements during each maintenance cycle. Current fuel assemblies have a service life of about four years.