"Today, on Tuesday April 26, at around 11 a.m. [08:00 GMT], an unscheduled launch of the security alarm took place on the third block of the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant belonging to Teollisuuden Voima (TVO) during commissioning tests. TVO informed the STUK and the Emergency Response Centre Agency of the incident," the STUK said in a statement.
The agency said the incident did not pose a radiological hazard to NPP workers, people outside of the facility or the environment. STUK specialists arrived at the site to monitor the commissioning tests and ensure the safe launch of the NPP, according to the statement.
The Finnish authorities granted permission to the TVO to launch the third power unit of the Olkiluoto NPP on December 16, 2021. The facility was connected to the national power grid on March 12.
The capacity of the Olkiluoto-3 NPP is expected to be gradually increased to 1600 MW during the pilot operation, which will last for about four months. The capacity will meet about 10% of Finland's need for electricity.