Russian Rosatom Corporation started accepting bids for participation in the Hanhikivi nuclear power plant in Finland from Finnish and Russian sub-contractors on Tuesday. Its subsidiary Rusatom Overseas is going to build Hanhikivi-1 in cooperation with Fennovoima, Finland’s third nuclear power company.
Bidding is open for all aspects of construction exactly scheduled day by day, Rusatom Overseas’s Director for Social Responsibilities Irina Kibina told ITAR-TASS after the meeting with potential sub-contractors in Helsinki. Finnish companies demonstrated keen interest in the project, she added.
Fennovoima’s shareholders decided to support the project in April and announced the Russian and Finnish companies had set about practical work – coordinating power plant’s parameters with the Finnish regulator, clearance and planning additional works at the facility in the Pyhajoki municipality in Finland’s north.
One of the first project to be implemented with sub-contractors’ help is an eight-kilometer road to connect the power plant and the local motorway, said Kibina. The works are planned to start in August – September.
Late in March, Rosatom acquired 34% of Fennovoima. The Finnish share fell below 50% after Kesko’s subsidiary Kestra dropped out. A small share is owned by Sweden.
Rusatom Overseas and Fennovoima signed the contract late in December 2013. The Finnish company obtained the construction license in the summer of 2010. The Russian company was not then mentioned as a reactor supplier, so the Finnish parliament will for the second time approve the project. Fennovoima expects the authorities to confirm the project is in the public interest.
Rusatom Overseas is expected to supply a 1,200 MW reactor. Construction will not start until 2015.
According to the Finnish media, the value is €6.5 billion, with €1.6 billion to be contributed by Fennovoima.