Finland's Helen has begun its nuclear program to build a small nuclear power plant for district heating in Helsinki, aiming to achieve carbon-neutral energy production by the 2030s. The initial phase, set for completion by 2026, involves negotiating with partners, assessing suppliers, and choosing plant sites. Helen’s nuclear plan focuses on small modular reactors (SMRs) that provide heat or combined heat and electricity.
Helen's CEO, Olli Sirkka, emphasized the need for clean energy sources and the incorporation of nuclear power to meet climate goals. The company already signed an agreement with Steady Energy, a Finnish SMR developer, to promote nuclear energy and reform Finland's Nuclear Energy Act. This includes the potential procurement of up to ten 50 MW reactor units from Steady Energy.
Finland's Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) is assessing Steady Energy’s SMR designs. While not yet part of the licensing process, these evaluations help understand safety features of new nuclear plant designs. Steady Energy aims to build the first district heating plant using its LDR-50 SMR by 2030, which has been designed to be less demanding than traditional reactors in terms of safety. Additionally, Steady Energy is collaborating with Kuopion Energia on plans for small nuclear plants for district heating in eastern Finland.
-tk-