December 21, 2021 – Framatome marks the first criticality and the start of power tests of the Olkiluoto 3 (OL3) EPR, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. Following the authorization granted by the Finnish safety authority (STUK), the nuclear reaction in the OL3 EPR reactor has been initiated for the first time, December 21, marking the completion of a critical project milestone.
“We commend the TVO teams for this significant milestone and we thank the Framatome and Areva project teams that persevered to reach it. This milestone paves the way for safe, reliable, low-carbon electricity generation to the residents of Finland,” said Bernard Fontana, CEO of Framatome. “From the fuel manufactured in our plants to the long-term operational and outage services that Framatome will supply to OL3 in the future, we are honored to support this unit in reaching its full potential.”
The EPR is a "Generation III+" nuclear reactor, that benefits from significant technological advances in terms of nuclear and occupational safety. Its design incorporates the operational experience from over one hundred nuclear reactor projects built by Framatome all around the world.
The EPR reactor offers economic benefits for electrical utility customers, including reduced generating costs, enhanced fuel use, reduced waste volumes, increased operating flexibility, optimized outage times and improved operating conditions.
