by Finland’s Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant’s third unit, OL3, went into operation on Sunday with an installed capacity of 1,600 MW, the first new nuclear power unit in Finland in more than 40 years and the first in Europe in 16 years. The construction of OL3 started in 2005 and was originally planned to be put into operation in 2010, but it has been postponed until today due to various reasons. OL3 will meet approximately 14% of Finland’s electricity needs, reducing the need to import electricity from Sweden and Norway. It is expected to operate for at least 60 years. Different countries in Europe have different plans for nuclear energy, with Germany shutting down its last three nuclear reactors, while countries such as Sweden, France and the United Kingdom plan to build new reactors.
