Sharjah24 – Reuters: Finland's much delayed Olkiluoto 3 nuclear reactor started test production on Saturday (March 12), delivering electricity to the national power grid which over time will help reduce the country's dependence on imports and lower power prices. Plagued by technological problems that became the subject of lawsuits, the 1.6 gigawatt (GW) reactor had originally been due to open in 2009.
It is Finland's first new nuclear plant in over four decades and Europe's first in almost 15 years.
Regular electricity output is scheduled to start at the end of July, operator Teollisuuden Voima (TVO) said.
Once fully operational, it is expected to meet 14% of Finland's electricity demand, reducing the need for imports from Russia, Sweden and Norway.
Nuclear power remains controversial in Europe, with some countries such as Germany phasing out reactors amid safety concerns, while others including France and Britain discussing new developments.
TVO is a joint venture of Finnish utility Fortum and a consortium of smaller energy and forestry firms.
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