Loviisa nuke plant to undergo annual outage on August 2

The annual outage of Loviisa nuclear power plant will begin with Unit 2 on August 2, followed by the servicing of Unit 1, said plant owner Finnish majority state-owned energy company Fortum in a press release on Wednesday.

The outages will be carried out till October 18 this year and one reactor unit is normally in operation while the other is undergoing maintenance.

During this outage, the fuel will be removed from the reactor for inspections of the reactor pressure vessel and a pressure test, a quarter of the fuel will be replaced, and a wide range of other maintenance and servicing tasks will be performed.

Unit 2 will undergo the comprehensive annual maintenance outage carried out every eight years.

Unit 1 is scheduled for a shorter annual outage, which includes fuel replacement as well as other maintenance and servicing tasks.

“The Loviisa power plant plays an important role in ensuring the reliability of Finland’s electricity supply. A systematically implemented annual outage will again ensure uninterrupted electricity production for the coming year,” said Sasu Valkamo, Senior Vice President of Loviisa power plant.

In addition to the power plant’s permanent employees, about 1,000 workers from contractor companies will participate in the annual outage.

Several modernization projects aimed at extending the service life of the power plant will also be launched during the annual outage.

“The most significant projects include modernization of the low-pressure turbines, renewal of the turbine automation, and replacement of the main seawater pumps. In total, more than ten major projects will be carried out during the annual outage,” said Valkamo.

Both units at the Loviisa nuclear power plant have a new operating license valid through the end of 2050.

To ensure continued stabile and safe operation, the power plant needs to undergo extensive upgrades in the coming years. Required investments until 2050 are estimated to be up to EUR 1 billion.