Fuel loading at the Olkiluoto 3 EPR in Finland is now expected at the end of 2012, about four years later than envisaged in the original schedule.
The new date was given in a proposal submitted on 4 June by the Areva-Siemens consortium supplying the plant to its Finnish customer, TVO, outlining a timetable and milestones for completion of the project, up to fuel loading.
The main civil works are completed and almost all the buildings are now fully closed and weatherproofed. There were initial delays in carrying out pipework installation, but this is now fully underway, with installation of major primary circuit components, such as the reactor pressure vessel, expected shortly.
In addition, the regulator has now accepted the instrumentation and control system architecture for the plant, allowing preparations for plant commissioning to begin.
