Report: Helsinki may abandon Hanhikivi-1 nuke project

HELSINKI, Dec 19 (PRIME) -- The city council of Helsinki is considering leaving the project to construct the Hanhikivi-1 nuclear power plant, whose main contractor is Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom, Iltalehti newspaper reported on Tuesday citing a council member.

A week ago, similar move was approved by the city of Vantaa.

“There are discussions in Helsinki and Vantaa, which have resulted in a conclusion that the project is not economically viable for taxpayers,” Emma Kari, an author of the initiative, said.

Rusatom Overseas, a unit of Rosatom, and Finland’s Fennovoima signed a contract to build the plant in December 2013. Rusatom Overseas is to deliver a 1,200-megawatt reactor to the plant.

Russia plans to invest a ruble equivalent of 2.4 billion euros in the project from the National Wealth Fund, or a maximum of 150 billion rubles, and included it on the list of sustainable infrastructure projects.

Fennovoima has not commented yet.

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