The RAOS project, the Finnish arm of Russian nuclear power company Rosatom, will continue its plans to build the HanhikiviI nuclear power plant in Finland. The company will develop the 1.2GW plant despite uncertainty over government licensing following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

HanhikiviI will be located in the coastal city of Pyhäjoki on the Baltic coast of Ostrobothnia in northern Finland. The nuclear facility will be equipped with a 1,200-megawatt AES-2006 pressurized water reactor with a maximum thermal power of 3,200 megawatts and a lifespan of 60 years. The plant was commissioned by the Finnish-Russian consortium Fennovoima. Finnish companies including Outokumpu, Fortum and SSAB hold two-thirds of the project, with Rosatom's subsidiary RAOS Voima holding the rest.

After Russia invaded Ukraine, Finnish Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintila said it was "absolutely impossible" for the Finnish government to approve the construction of the HanhikiviI plant. Fennovoima had expected to receive a building permit from the Finnish government in 2022 to start construction of the power plant in 2023. Finnish stakeholders are planning to exit the nuclear power project and write down the project, but are reluctant to pay the RAOS project for breach of existing contracts and possible insurance. Keywords: engineering construction, engineering news

"Rosatom and RAOS Project continue to fulfill their obligations under the signed agreements and contracts related to the HanhikiviI project," RAOS Project said in an email. "RAOS Project, as a supplier, was and construction contracts. "It is understood that the RAOS project has already started on-site preparations such as wiring and excavation, but requires government permission before construction can begin.Editor/XingWentao