Nuclear News

Finnish minister favours building sixth nuclear reactor

Jan 5, 2007, 10:17 GMT

Helsinki - Finland should build a sixth nuclear reactor, Trade and Industry Minister Mauri Pekkarinen said in a newspaper interview published Friday.

A sixth nuclear reactor was necessary if Finland was to meet its emission targets under the Kyoto Protocol, Pekkaarinen was quoted as telling the newspaper Lansi-Savo, adding that renewable energy sources were not sufficient.

Pekkarinen also cited increased power consumption as another reason.

Currently Finland operates four nuclear rectors. A fifth nuclear reactor is being built at Olkiluoto, south-western Finland.

Construction on the fifth reactor began in early 2005 but the project has experienced delays and it was due to be operational at the end of 2010-2011.

The reactor is being built by France's Areva and Germany's Siemens, and is a European Pressurized Water Reactor (EPR).