Fortum reports productive year at Loviisa nuclear plant in Finland

Fortum Corp. issued a year-end statement this week regarding the performance of its Loviisa Nuclear Power Plant, near Loviisa, Finland.

The company said important investments were made on the plant, including the facility’s backup cooling system, which would ensure safe operation in the event of extreme weather or an oil spill in the Gulf of Finland.

The company said that internationally, the facility’s average load factor of 92.9 percent  between its two reactors puts it among the top-performing facilities. Unit 1 had a load factor of 92.7 percent, and Unit 2 had a load factor of 93.1 percent.

“The investment programme currently being carried out at the Loviisa nuclear power plant is the most extensive in the plant’s history,” Thomas Buddas, the facility's deputy director, said. “The program aims to secure safe, reliable and profitable energy generation for the duration of the operating licenses, i.e. until 2027 and 2030. The most significant investments are related to the renewal of the power-plant automation, continuous improvement of safety and refurbishment of the turbine generators.”

Over the course of 2015, the plant did not experience any safety incidents that were deemed significant by national and international authorities. The plant employs approximately 750 people, including contractors and full-time Fortum and external employees.