Year 2011
Ministry requests Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority to report on nuclear facilities’ preparedness
Mauri Pekkarinen, Minister of Economic Affairs, has requested Finland’s Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority STUK to prepare a report on how nuclear power plants in the country are prepared for the impacts floods and other extreme natural phenomena may have on the functioning of the facilities.
Minister Pekkarinen has discussed the matter with STUK management, and the authorities agree on that the safety level is high in Finnish nuclear power plants. Regardless of this, however, the report is considered necessary.
The report to be submitted to the Ministry of Employment and the Economy shall pay particular attention to how the external and internal power supply of nuclear power plants is provided for if incidents or accidents occur, and how the continuity of power supply to the systems is secured in case no external power sources are available. The authority is requested to provide a description also of the preparedness in new nuclear power plant units for such situations.
The report was considered topical due to the severe problems caused to Japan’s nuclear power plants by the earthquake and the resulting tsunami.
In winter 2005, Minister Pekkarinen requested STUK to provide a report on the impacts of rising water levels due to the winter storm that occurred in the Baltic Sea. The storm and the resulting so-called bathtub effect in the Baltic Sea raised water levels in the Gulf of Finland to exceptional heights.
The Ministry of Employment and the Economy has monitored the situation in Japan’s nuclear power plants in cooperation with the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority over the weekend.
For further information, please contact
Mauri Pekkarinen, Minister of Economic Affairs, tel. +358 (0)10 606 3500
Jorma Aurela, Senior Engineer, MEE, tel. +358 (0)50 592 2109
