Posted on October 11, 2016
Fennovoima has halted dredging work at the site of the Hanhikivi-1 nuclear unit under construction in Finland after an oil spill on 6 October 2016 resulted in a 200m-long oil slick, the company said in a statement. The spill, of around 300 litres of oil, occurred when a barge being operated by dredging contractor Terramare Ltd was carrying out hydraulic construction work and the hull of the barge hit the ocean floor.
Fennovoima said four vessels are at the location and are carrying out “oil spill response work”.
The coast guard centre of the Finnish border guard is in charge of the situation and the response work Fennovoima said.
Fennovoima project director Minna Forsström said such environmental damage shouldn’t be a part of any construction work and is “in no way acceptable”. She said: “We expect Terramare to provide a report of the accident and new guidance for their work procedures at Hanhikivi headland. We will evaluate the report and guidance together with the plant supplier RAOS Project and the main contractor Titan-2. Only if these materials meet our requirements can the dredging work continue.”
Titan-2 and Terramare signed the hydraulic construction work contract in July 2016.
Hanhikivi-1 is a 1,200-MW VVER pressurised water reactor being supplied for Fennovoima by Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom. It is scheduled to enter commercial operation in 2024.
Source: NUCNET
