Finland: electricity production partially suspended at Olkiluoto NPP

Power company Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO) has announced that electricity production at unit 2 of the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant (NPP) has been suspended due to the detection of increased moisture in the generator of the turbine plant. The issue should not affect safety at the plant. Unit 2 (OL2) is an 890 MWe boiling water reactor that began commercial operation in the 1980s. The rotor of the unit’s generator malfunctioned last September, provoking a shutdown of electricity production. After replacing the water-cooled rotor, production resumed in early October, but the unit operated at reduced power for several months to prevent further damage. The power output was in the process of being fully restored before the increased moisture in the generator was detected. The annual outage of unit 2 is expected to start on May 25 and should last three weeks.
Units 1 and 3 of the Olkiluoto plant continue to work normally. Unit 3 is undergoing its annual outage, which should end on May 2. Unit 1’s outage is scheduled for mid-May.