The investment brings 16 new wind mills to Smaland, north from Gothenburg and to the country's south-west cost north from Helsingborg. E.ON informs in its press release that the energy produced with the new wind mills corresponds to the needs of 16 000 family houses. CO2 emissions decrease by 60 000 tons per year.

The investment is a part of a seven-year program during which the German E.ON invests SEK 58 billion (some EUR 6 billion) in Sweden in its nuclear power plants and in renewable energy sources.

Two weeks ago the Swedish government voted yes to nuclear power: according to the decision, the current ten nuclear power plants in Sweden can be replaced with new ones in the future.

Jonas Abrahamsson, CEO of E.ON Nordic says in the company's press release that renewables are an essential part of E.ON’s energymix in which nuclear power has an important part as well.

>> E.ON is one of Fennovoima's 64 owners.
 

According to Mr Saarenpää, this is a great day for Fennovoima, for its owners and for both alternative location regions.

Fennovoima will proceed rapidly and effectively, the next step is choosing the location. Mr Saarenpää says the research is to be finished during this year, and the land planning is expected to be completed this year, too. The location will be chosen in the beginning of next year at latest.

Mr Saarenpää states that the company has focused on preparing the project for a couple of years and will continue preparative planning for the next couple of years. Thorough planning is the key to success, he points out and says the aim is that the nuclear power plant will produce electricity in 2020.

The CEO says that the company is pleased that the Parliament wants Posiva, its owners and Fennovoima to start negotiations during this year regarding the final depositing of nuclear waste. He adds that Fennovoima is ready to bear its costs and cooperate with Posiva.
 

>> Read more about Fennovoima's schedule and the company itself.

After getting the voting result, a bottle of champagne was popped and Repo threw a high-five with Fennovoima’s regional coordinator Minna Palosaari.

Mr Repo pointed out that this is one step in a long process. Helsingin Sanomat noted that there were no opponents around and for those at the office, the main issue was jobs in the municipality: the power plant will employ thousands of people in the construction phase and hundreds when in operation.

>> Read more about Fennovoima's alternative site locations.

Matti Miilukangas, who has been in favor of having a nuclear power plant in Hanhikivi since the very beginning, admitted the voting made him nervous. Mr Miilukangas says in Kaleva that the decision pleases him very much and it would be great if the plant would be constructed in Pyhäjoki.

Jorma Kortesoja, deputy chairman of the Federation of Finnish Enterprises and chairman of North Ostrobothnian Enterpreneurs believes the nuclear power licences will strengthen the competitiveness of the industry. He points out the investment is a major boost for North Finland, regardless of whether the nuclear power plant is located in Pyhäjoki or Simo.

Raimo Seikkala, chairman of Raahe Chamber of Commerce, was in good mood and said work has been done for the project for three years. Mr Seikkala thinks it is now important to ensure everything that Fennovoima needs in order to implement the project is well taken care of in the region.

>> Read more about the site choices of Fennovoima.

In the schedule there is time for discussion until 10 p.m. and if necessary, the discussion will be continued next Tuesday. It is possible that the Parliament will make its final decision already before midsummer late June.

The Government decided last week to give a Decision-in-Principle for constructing two nuclear power plants. The Greens voted against the DiP's.

>> Read about Fennovoima's nuclear power plant project.

Before making the decision, the Economy Committee assesses the Decision-in-Principles presented by the Government. It has not yet been decided which Committees will give a statement for the Economy Committee.

The Speakers’ Council consists of the speakers, state officials and those MP’s who are chairmen in Parliament Committees.

>> The schedule of Fennovoima's nuclear power plant project.

Mr Saarenpää emphasized that Fennovoima started the project in 2007 with great and serious ambitions and the company is pleased that the Government has regarded the project as beneficial for Finland. According to Mr Saarenpää, Fennovoima hopes that the Parliament will agree.

Mr Saarenpää said Fennovoima has two good locations as site alternatives for the nuclear power plant: Simo and Pyhäjoki. In both locations extensive studies has been carried out and the authorities have accepted both locations as suitable. Mr Saarenpää pointed out that this means the locations are now in equal position. He said the choice of the location would already have been made if the decision was easy. For Fennovoima, it is important that both the residents and the decision-makers in the locations want Fennovoima in their region.

Fennovoima CEO thinks it is fair that a new region in Finland will benefit from an enormous project such as a new nuclear power plant.

Tapio Saarenpää stressed that Fennovoima will manage the spent fuel appropriately like all others that are now responsible for nuclear fuel management. Fennovoima regards it as rational that all spent nuclear fuel produced in Finland would be deposited in one location. According to Mr Saarenpää, if Fennovoima gets the DiP from Parliament, Fennovoima will first see if an agreement can be reached with Posiva during the next years, but if this should not happen then Fennovoima will plan and carry out its own solution.

Mr Saarenpää stated that the spent fuel produced in Fennovoima’s power plant will in any case be deposited in the Finnish bedrock. The costs are included in advance because the law requires that the assets needed for managing the spent fuel are included in the price of the produced electricity. In this respect, all applicants are in the same position, Mr Saarenpää pointed out.

He said that what makes Fennovoima different from other applicants is that Fennovoima’s owners have a genuine need for electricity production – they need the electricity for their own production in Finland already today.

>> Read about Fennovoima's project.

Fennovoima’s nuclear power plant would ensure that Myllyn Paras’ all energy would be produced with non-fossil fuels, says Pekka Savela, CEO of Myllyn Paras. Mr Savela is pleased that Fennovoima project has proceeded successfully. At the moment, Myllyn Paras produces part of the energy used in its production facilities by burning oat crust.

Almost 2 million Finns get their electricity from energy companies that are Fennovoima’s shareholders. At the moment, the companies have to buy most of the electricity they need from the electricity exchange where the price is high and fluctuating. The price is unpredictable. Aamuposti points out that Fennovoima’s owners get the electricity from the nuclear power plant at cost price which benefits consumers, too.

Fennovoima’s shareholders use 30 per cent of electricity consumed in Finland but have very little own electricity production.

>> Fennovoima has 64 owners.

The next step is that the proposal goes to the government for voting and after that, the Parliament will process it. If the DiP is accepted, TVO’s nuclear power plant would be constructed in Olkiluoto, Eurajoki and Fennovoima’s nuclear power plant in Northern Finland, to Pyhäjoki or Simo.

Mr Pekkarinen and Jyrki Katainen, Minister of Finance, emphasized Finland’s security of supply in energy production. According to them Finland will be self-sufficient in electricity production by the year 2020.

According to Mr Pekkarinen, the emissions of Finland will decrease considerably. In the government's press conference, he said the power plant projects secure the electricity production for domestic industry and business and replaces imported electricity. In addition, Mr Pekkarinen stressed the employing effect: the nuclear power projects generate tens of thousands of man-years.
 

>> Fennovoima's Decision-in-Principle application

Imatran Seudun Sähkö, a regional electricity company located in Karelia, Finland, aims at avoiding price hikes and keeping consumer prices reasonable by increasing own electricity production.

At the moment, the company has own production through Imatra Energy gas turbine power plant and Kanteleen Voima energy company’s peat energy plant. Own production is, however, going to be increased in order to avoid fluctuations of market prices.

Imatran Seudun Sähkö is now waiting for the nuclear power plant decisions as the company is one of Fennovoima’s shareholders.

>> In addition to Imatran Seudun Sähkö, Fennovoima has 63 shareholders representing a wide range of businesses. They all share one feature: they are currently dependent on exchange electricity.