STUK gave its statement on Fennovoima’s EIA programme concerning a nuclear power plant project: Cooling water outlet arrangements to be clarified

STUK discloses in its statement that the environmental impact assessment report based on the EIA programme should pay special attention to, for example, the options for various possible sites of the NPP when describing solutions for cooling water inlets and outlets. The varying season and meteorological conditions must be carefully taken into account when making analyses of cooling water inlet flow and dispersion into the sea environment.

A fact is that the cooling water dispersion issues of various proposed sites have been discussed very unevenly in the EIA programme. Most extensively the issue has been considered in the site options of Simo and Pyhäjoki municipalities and most briefly in the option of Kristiinankaupunki. Regarding the sea environment, the combined impact of the new plant and the nearby existing NPP in Hästholmen, Loviisa, must be taken into account in the option of Ruotsinpyhtää. Where applicable, one should use the already available results, i.e. the results on the see biological monitoring and environmental radiation surveillance of Finnish NPPs, as reference data in the assessment of the proposed NPP sites.

STUK also states that the in the EIA programme of the Fennovoima’s plan the waste management of the spent fuel have been treated only very provisionally. In its EIA report Fennovoima shall explain extensively enough nuclear waste management, and its environmental and radiological impact, meant to be carried out at the plant site, including decommissioning of the plant, treatment and final disposal of decommissioning waste. In addition, the alternatives that Fennovoima presents for spent fuel disposal after the storage at the site should be presented.

STUK will define more the details concerning the background of its statement when assessing the EIA report.

STUK will make relevant radiation and nuclear safety assessments in case the project advances, according to the Nuclear energy Act, for the process of decision in principle and thereafter for that of applying a construction permit. For the decision in principle, STUK issues a preliminary safety assessment. The safety assessment of the actual construction project will be made after a possible decision in principle, when the responsible project organisation applies for the construction permit and provides the detailed substantiations related to it.

Link to the web pages of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy (EIA) material of Fennovoima:
In Finnish, in English

Additional information:
Director, Lasse Reiman, tel. 358 9 759 88 379
Section Head, Olli Vilkamo, tel. +358 400 817981
Head of Public Information, Jarmo Lehtinen, tel. +358 9 759 88 211