Nuclear News

Support for sixth Finnish reactor drops: poll

Jul 15, 2007, 15:54 GMT

Helsinki - Support for a sixth nuclear reactor in Finland has dropped, according to a poll published Sunday.

Only 36 per cent of the 1,000 people polled said they supported building a sixth nuclear reactor compared to almost 60 per cent in a similar poll conducted last October.

The new poll was commissioned by the newspapers Etela-Suomen Sanomat and Satakunnan Kansan.

Trade and Industry Minister Mauri Pekkarinen said in a comment that the change was significant and slightly surprising.

Finland currently operates four nuclear reactors and is building a fifth reactor at Olkiluoto, south-western Finland.

Energy group Fortum and power company Teollisuuden Voima (TVO) were among the companies that have started to investigate the feasibility of building a sixth reactor.