Upgrades Planned at Loviisa Nuclear Power Plant as Part of Life Extension

Fortum, a Nordic energy company with headquarters in Espoo, Finland, near Helsinki, and offices in 10 other countries, announced that it will modernize the Loviisa nuclear power plant’s low-pressure turbines. The project will start in 2026 as part of lifetime extension-related investments at the site. The Lovissa plant is a dual-unit facility with a total net capacity of about 1,014 MW (Figure 1). Unit 1 was commissioned in 1977 and Unit 2 in 1980. The plant is located about 100 kilometers east of Helsinki and provided about 10% of Finland’s electricity production in 2023, with the units operating at capacity factors of 89.79% and 92.32%, respectively. The modernization of the turbines is expected to increase the total capacity of the plant by approximately 38 MW. [caption id="attachment_219558" align="aligncenter" width="720"]

nuclear-power-plant

1. The Lovissa nuclear power plant is a dual-unit facility with a total net capacity of about 1,014 MW. Courtesy: Fortum[/caption] In February 2023, the Finnish government granted a new operating license for the power plant until 2050. As a result, Fortum expects to perform continuous improvements to ensure reliable electricity production for at least the next 26 years. Fortum said it has invested approximately €200 million in refurbishing the Loviisa power plant over the past five years, and it estimated that investments related to the lifetime extension will amount to about €1 billion by 2050. “Extending the lifetime of the power plant is a major investment with a positive impact—both economically and in terms of employment. Modernizing the low-pressure turbines is our first significant investment in preparation for the lifetime extension. Our aim is for the power plant to operate during the new operating license period just as stably, reliably, and safely as it has so far,” Sasu Valkamo, senior vice president of the Loviisa power plant, said in a statement. Doosan Škoda Power was selected as the supplier for the low-pressure turbine job. The modernization will be carried out in conjunction with normal annual outages. In the turbine project, eight low-pressure turbine housings and their internal parts will be renewed. This particular modernization is targeting only the turbines, so it won’t impact the reactor plant or nuclear safety. The project is expected to significantly improve the efficiency of the turbine plant’s electricity production without increasing the thermal output of the reactor. “Doosan Škoda Power is a seasoned turbine supplier, and we have good experiences working with them. In our previous modernization project, Doosan Škoda Power also supplied us with high-pressure turbines,” Valkamo said. Radek Trněný, head of Sales Nuclear at Doosan Škoda Power, said, “Fortum is our long-term customer and we are very proud to be part of this new important modernization project at the Loviisa nuclear power plant. Nuclear power is a strategic segment for us, and this contract is further confirmation that we are on the right track.” Doosan Škoda Power is a leading global manufacturer and supplier of power plant machinery, especially steam turbine-generator sets with outputs between 3 MW and 1,200 MW. The company is part of the Doosan Group, which supplies technologies and services to customers all over the world. Fortum, meanwhile, has more than 150 power plants in its fleet. In addition to the Lovissa plant, Fortum also owns shares in Olkiluoto Units 1, 2, and 3, Oskarshamn Unit 3, and Forsmark Units 1, 2, and 3. Fortum also has hydro, combined heat and power (CHP), solar, and wind power plants. It touts a 98% CO₂-free electricity generation portfolio. It is the third-largest power generator in the Nordic countries and one of the leading heat producers globally. —Aaron Larson is POWER’s executive editor (@POWERmagazine).