Groundbreaking ceremony heralds start of work on Hanhikivi 1 foundation pit

A special ceremony to mark the beginning of work on a foundation pit was held at the construction site of the Hanhikivi 1 nuclear power plant in Pyhajoki, Finland, BelTA learned from the communications department of Rosatom Corporation.

On behalf of Russia the ceremony was attended by Kirill Komarov, First Deputy Director General for Corporate Development and International Business of Rosatom; Nikita Konstantinov, Director General of Rusatom Energy International; Anastasia Zoteeva, Deputy Director General for Business Development of Rusatom Energy International; Vadim Ryabov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of RAOS Project Oy; and Grigory Naginsky, Chairman of the Board of Directors of OAO TITAN-2. Finland was represented by Minna Forsstrom, Project Director at Fennovoima, and Matti Soronen, Mayor of the Municipality of Pyhajoki.

The ceremony included the first detonation of rocks and the placement of a memorial stone. After the groundbreaking ceremony, the managers of the participating companies visited the new Pyhajoki office of RAOS Project Oy, the general contractor carrying out the Hanhikivi 1 nuclear power plant project.
The visit was followed by a meeting at the Pyhajoki Mayor office where the guests answered questions from Finnish media.

In his welcoming remarks, Kirill Komarov pointed out that the Hanhikivi 1 nuclear power plant will have a positive impact on the local economy in the form of tax revenues during the construction and operation periods. He noted that, according to Rosatom’s estimates, every job at a nuclear plant generates 7 to 8 jobs in related industries. “This year we will complete the preparation of a full package of documents for a license to build a nuclear power plant. We are actively working on this together with our customer and partner Fennovoima,” Kirill Komarov stated. He also thanked municipal managers, local community, Finnish entrepreneurs, and the Finnish Government for the support of the Hanhikivi 1 project.

Minna Forsstrom noted that the ceremony became an important milestone in the implementation of the project. “It is really satisfying to see that we are progressing on schedule,” she said.

The Finnish company Fennovoima Oy and Russia’s Rusatom Energy International (Rusatom Overseas before) signed a contract to construct the Hanhikivi 1 nuclear power plant in December 2013. Rusatom Energy International specializes in management of Rosatom international projects to build and operate nuclear power plants, acting as project companies’ shareholder. In spring 2014, RAOS Voima Oy, a subsidiary of Rusatom Energy International, and the Finnish company Voimaosakeyhtio SF announced they signed a share purchase agreement, according to which a 34% stake in Fennovoima Oy was transferred to RAOS Voima Oy. In October 2014 Saint Petersburg-based Atomproekt and Rusatom Energy International signed an agreement to develop a full set of design documentation for the Hanhikivi 1 nuclear power plant. The nuclear power plant project meets the IAEA and EUR standards. It will also be adapted to comply with the Finnish national safety requirements. In June 2015 Fennovoima Oy submitted an application for the nuclear power plant construction license. The power unit at Hanhikivi 1 is expected to go online in 2024.