Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
20.2 Licensing of Nuclear Facilities in Finland and the
Use of Visual Simulations
Finland is the first European nation to build a new nuclear power plant for more
than a decade. In addition to four existing units, a fifth unit is scheduled to start
operation in 2012. Finland employs a world-wide unique licensing procedure for
nuclear facilities, demanding a decision on the project by the Government and
ratification of governmental decisions by the Parliament. Developers of nuclear
facilities must provide an environmental impact assessment report in their applica-
tion for a decision-in-principle. The candidate municipality retains an absolute
veto right, and is to be consulted before a decision-in-principle is made. In order to
ensure an unbiased process, the applicant is allowed to make investment decisions
and publish a call for bids only after both Government and Parliament have de-
cided positively on the project. Construction license and operation license must be
applied for separately. In 2000, the Finnish Government decided on a final reposi-
tory for highly radioactive waste, and became thus the first democratic nation to
make this decision. Construction of the repository is underway, and disposal of
spent fuel will begin around the year 2020.
Currently, applications for three further nuclear power plants or plant units are
being prepared. In their environmental impact assessment reports, three companies
- Teollisuuden Voima (2008), Fortum Power and Heat (2008), and Fennovoima
(2008) - each suggest the building of a 1600 Megawatts plant or plant unit. Under
the growing threat of climate change, political debates indicate a rather positive
standing towards the expansion of nuclear power in Finland, and approval of at
least one application seems likely. Additionally, the joint company responsible for
the disposal of radioactive waste, Posiva, is preparing an application for the exten-
sion of the final repository in order to deal with the waste produced by the plant
currently under construction (Posiva 2008). With every licensed power plant unit,
disposal of waste produced during the unit's lifetime must be assessed and applied
for separately.
Negotiations between power companies and local communities take place dur-
ing the obligatory environmental impact assessment under supervision of the Min-
istry for Employment and the Economy and the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Au-
thority STUK. Regional environment centres are asked to engage in the licensing
procedure. Further, the Ministry of the Environment organises public hearings in
the candidate municipalities. Guiding competences remain with the Ministry for
Employment and the Economy and STUK, which both actively pursue the devel-
opment of nuclear power.
During recent environmental impact assessments, all four companies requested
help from one major Finnish energy consultant, Pöyry Energy. The assessments
are usually organised by a company-consultant working group, and most involved
consultants work on all four projects. This is highly visible in the publications,
such as the environmental impact assessment programmes and reports. This paper
will especially focus on one aspect of these reports, the visual simulation of nu-
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