Vocabulary

 

 
 
 
 
 

Video: Nuclear Energy in Finland

 
 
 
 

Transcript

 

Finland’s new nuclear reactor is one of the biggest in the world. It’s called Olkiluoto Three and commissioned in 2023.

It has increased the nuclear share of Finland’s electricity consumption to 38%, ten points higher than three years ago.

Juha Poikola, TVO Public Relations Manager: “Why is it so popular today is security, so reliable, 24/7 electricity.

So many countries are looking to go nuclear, they come and visit us, and ask about our experiences.”

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But Olkiluoto Three’s price tag almost quadruples to eleven billion euros (€11 billion). And completing it took eighteen (18) years instead of four as initially planned.

These cost overruns prompted TVO to cancel an additional reactor — and yet the operator insists the plant’s economic benefits outweigh its costs.

Juha Poikola, TVO Public Relations Manager: “It’s expensive to build, yes. But the benefits come to the consumer. So now consumers are benefiting from low electricity prices.”

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Nuclear power has also helped Helsinki gain a new kind of independence from Moscow: half of Finland’s energy imports used to come from its neighboring country.

That share is now near zero.

Helsinki decided to make the shift after the start of Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

But experts stress, the country still imports large parts of its uranium from Russia.

Veli-Pekka Tykkynen, Russian Environmental Studies Professor: “The Finnish energy company Fortun has tried all these three years to substitute Russian uranium deliveries — but it hasn’t been able to do so in almost four years.

To build nuclear power plants nowadays because of the high safety standards and security standards is very expensive.

We have biofuels. We have wind power, and other renewables.

This is the model that is kind of resilient in this very moment.”

Renewables have also grown their share in the energy mix.

Onshore wind farms now make up 24% of all electricity production, up from 14% in 2022.

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And yet, nuclear plant operator TVO believes in a future with additional nuclear reactors.

The company will soon inaugurate this nuclear waste disposal site that has been in the making for decades.

A tunnel system 400 meters beneath the ground, where the waste of the country’s existing nuclear plants is to be stored for good.

Pasi Tuohimaa, Posiva Communications manager: “We do have a solution, that we can take care safely of the spent nuclear fuel.

Of couse, the same model can be copied in almost any country. Excavating tunnels s not that difficult.

Finland is full of bedrock, so there can be other places.

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The Finnish government aims to speed up the construction of new, nuclear plants, but with Finland’s overall onshore wind capacity planning to double within the next decade, nenewables are set to remain the default in the immediate future.

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Questions

 

Energy, Power. Since Finland is a small country, with a tiny population, its Olkiluoto Three nuclear reactor is likewise miniature in size. True or false?

Solar Cells, Solar Panels. Is electricity from nuclear power plants in Finland increasing, decreasing or remaining the same? Does only Finland accept nuclear energy?

Wind Turbine. Was the construction of the Olkiluoto reactor quick, cheap and easy? Are more nuclear reactors slated for construction?

Hydroelectric Power. Has trade with neighboring Russia been altered?

Geothermal Energy. Everyone agrees on how to proceed with energy. Everyone is in agreement with the future of energy. Is this right or wrong?

Coal-Fired Plant. How will Finland deal with nuclear waste (disposal)?

Nuclear Fission. Can only the Finns construct and operate underground nuclear waste disposal and storage?

Nuclear Fusion. Finland plans to ramp up coal, gas and oil-fired power plants. Is this correct or incorrect? What is the way forward, in terms of electric power?
 
 
 
Petroleum, Gas, Oil. Is electric power in your city, region or nation cheap, expensive, medium priced, affordable? Do people complain about electric bills?

Biofuels What are the main sources of power in your region? Are there any “power outages” or “blackouts”? If yes, how frequent are they?

Watermill, Windmill. Have there been some trends and developments?

Animal Power, Cart. What might happen in the future?

Human Power. What could or should people, businesses and governments do?