Gas Turbine Plant Inauguration at Olkiluoto

The Olkiluoto Gas Turbine Plant jointly constructed by Fingrid Oyj and Teollisuuden Voima Oy (TVO) was inaugurated today.  The inauguration was performed by Ms Anne Holmlund, Minister of the Interior.  The joint 100 MW power plant will serve both owner parties.  When necessary, the Gas Turbine Plant supplies fast disturbance reserve to the main grid.  Secondly, the new plant will secure the external power supply to the Olkiluoto NPP units even in a large scale disturbance in the main grid.The heart of the Gas Turbine Plant is formed by two 50 MW TwinPac aggregation representing proven technology and delivered by MAN TURBO AG.  Both units contain two gas turbines and one generator which are coupled up.  The turbines manufactured by Pratt & Whitney from the U.S.A. have been developed from an airplane jet engine.  The generators are manufactured by the German Siemens AG.  The plant uses sulphur free light fuel oil.  The plant reaches its full effect, 100 MW, from start in seven minutes.  The unstaffed plant can be started and stopped by remote control from Fingrid’s  Power System Control Centre in Helsinki and from the control rooms of the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant units OL1 and OL2, and in the future also from the unit OL3. TVO is responsible for the local control and operation and the maintenance of the Gas Turbine Plant.

The Olkiluoto Gas Turbine Plant serves both Fingrid and TVO.  Fingrid’s task is to secure the reliable operation of Finland’s electricity system. For managing disturbancies in the system Fingrid  needs a so-called fast disturbance reserve of a certain magnitude to prevent the disturbance from extending nationwide. The Olkiluoto Plant is a significant addition to the fast disturbance  reserve.  For TVO it provides the security of external power supply to the NPP units also in the very rare situation in which electricity supply cannot be provided from the main grid through any of the existing connections.  Connection to the Gas Turbine Plant is thus an additional backup for the power supply for the NPP units.

Reserves are required to secure operational reliability
- One of Fingrid’s main tasks is to secure the operational reliability of Finland’s power system. For this purpose, Fingrid maintains reserves under specific agreements with the industry and power plants and by acquiring and managing e.g. gas turbine capacity, said Findrid Oyj’s President & CEO, Mr Jukka Ruusunen.

- The total capacity of Fingrid’s own reserve power plants is now 615 MW.  Reserve plants will have to be constructed also in the future and Fingrid’s intention is to construct additional capacity of some 200 MW aiming at years 2012-2013. Reserve power must be increased simultaneously with the construction of new large power plant units.  This is a big challenge for Fingrid and its total annual investments in the near future will amount to 100-200 million euros. The investment costs of the Olkiluoto Gas Turbine Plant have totalled about 50 million euro, tells Mr Ruusunen.

A considerable synergy benefit
TVO’s President and CEO, Mr Pertti Simola emphasized the considerable synergy benefit brought by the new Gas Turbine Plant.  - Construction of this Plant represents innovative co-operative  thinking, resulting in that one plus one is more than two.  We have reached a cost effective and reliable technical solution which will meet fully the requirements of both Fingrid and TVO.
 
- Safety is the main issue in all our operations here at TVO, and the Gas Turbine Plant fits extremely well in this culture. It will create an additional backup to the already manifoldly secured reserve power supply of our NPP units, said Mr Simola. For further information, please, contact:
Mr Martti Merviö, Project Director, Fingrid Oyj, tel. +358-400 511347
Mr Jaakko Tuomisto, Manager, Energy Management, TVO,
tel. +358-500 121569
Ms Leni Lustre-Pere, Communications Manager, Fingrid Oyj,
tel. +358-400 438604
Mr Juhani Ikonen, Manager, Public Information, TVO, tel. +358-500 834513