HELSINKI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th May, 2022) Finnish nuclear power company Fennovoima said on Tuesday it has withdrawn its application for a permit to build the Hanhikivi-1 nuclear power plant (NPP) in Finland's Pyhajoki.
The construction of Hanhikivi-1 was earmarked as a collaboration between Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom and Fennovoima before the Finnish nuclear company unilaterally terminated the contract on May 2.
"On Tuesday 24th May 2022, Fennovoima has withdrawn the Hanhikivi 1 nuclear power plant Construction License Application," a statement read.
Works at the construction site related to the contract have been halted and Fennovoima is now focused on ensuring safety in the short and long term, according to the statement.
The Finnish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment said in a press release it has received Fennovoima's application and in the coming weeks the government would issue its formal decision on terminating the consideration of Hanhikivi-1 project application.
Rosatom chief Alexey Likhachev called Finland's decision to terminate the Hanhikivi-1 contract "strange" and said that Russia will seek clarifications. The Russian foreign ministry said Fennovoima was likely pressured into making the "political decision" of terminating the contract.
The Hanhikivi-1 project entailed the construction of a one-unit NPP based on the state-of-the-art Russian reactor VVER-1200, with the capacity of 1,200 MW. Fennovoima was the customer, owner and operator of the future NPP, while Rosatom's subsidiary RAOS Project was the general contractor. The project was at the stage of licensing and preparatory works at the construction site when the contract broke.
