Finland has recognised its complete dependence on Russian nuclear fuel. Petra Lundström, executive vice president of Fortum’s nuclear power division, told Helsingin Sanomat that the local Loviisa nuclear power plant still receives fuel only from Russia.
“Russia is a major player in this whole [nuclear] fuel supply chain. As a supplier of uranium, in enrichment, conversion. And this also applies to other Western nuclear power plants,” Petra Lundström said.
He noted that Finland’s dependence on Russia will be maximised when the Loviisa nuclear power plant starts buying fuel from the West.
According to the newspaper, two Soviet-made nuclear reactors located in Loviisa produce 10 per cent of the electricity consumed in Finland. Finnish state-owned energy company Fortum has yet to find another supplier. The fuel supply contract from Russia runs until 2027 for one reactor and 2030 for the other.
The company told the newspaper that the risk of fuel supply interruption from Russia is under control. At the same time, the transition from Russian to Western nuclear fuel may take several years.