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It was the owner of the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant, Industriens kraft (TVO) who even stated in a press release that there had been an “irregular incident” at the other reactor at the plant.
According to the company, at 12:22 Finnish time, irregularities were discovered in the reactor. The main line to the reactor was immediately closed.
According to TVO, there should have been no danger to the employees of the power plant, but the Finnish radiological safety center STUK reports this afternoon that some radioactivity has been released into the air.
It should be a very small amount and the population in the area does not need to eat iodine tablets or do anything else, according to STUK.
The incident must be investigated
The head of the Finnish Radiation Protection Authority, Petteri Tiippana, tells the Helsingin Sanomat newspaper that this is a very unusual incident, but that the situation is currently stable. The increased radioactivity must be measured inside the reactor and thus something outside.
Tiippana tells the newspaper that what happened will be investigated. He adds that so far there is no danger to either the employees or the nearby residents.
According to Finnish radio and television YLE, the Finnish Radiation Protection Authority believes that this is what they want to define as a serious incident.
The power plant is located approx. 25 kilometers from the town of Rauma in the municipality of Eurajoki.
Finns are investing in nuclear power
The construction works for a new reactor at the Olkiluoto plant have been going on for more than 10 years, but technical problems have meant that it has not come into operation.
Also, radioactive waste storage has been blown up into the rock below the nuclear power plant.
Here, nuclear waste will be stored for 100,000 years.
Finland currently has two nuclear power plants with four reactors in operation. Two in Olkiluoto and two in Lovisa east of the capital Helsinki. In addition, a third nuclear power plant is planned to be built north of the new Oulu in the depths of the Gulf of Bothnia.