About nuclear energy
Nuclear energy has been produced worldwide since the early 1950s, and the first nuclear power plants intended for commercial use in Finland were built in the 1970s. In recent years, nuclear energy has accounted for about 40 percent of Finland’s electricity needs, and as the world changes, it is possible to bring this technology into heat production as well.
What is nuclear power?
Nuclear power plants produce energy through a process called fission, in which neutron particles hit uranium metal fuel surrounded by water. Uranium nuclei split when struck by neutrons, releasing heat and new neutrons.
This process heats the water surrounding the fuel, and the heat can be directed to a turbine to generate electricity or used for district heating. Simply put, nuclear power is just one way to heat water and direct the resulting energy for the desired purpose.
Nuclear power has been used to produce energy since the early 1950s. Helen’s alternatives—small nuclear power plants—are based on solutions that have been tested for decades. The most significant differences from earlier nuclear power plants are their smaller size and output, as well as the latest safety solutions, which in part enable small nuclear power plants to be located in urban environments within the reach of the district heating network.
Small Nuclear Power Plants, or SMR Plants
Small nuclear power refers to modular reactors (SMR, small modular reactor) that are smaller than traditional nuclear power plants. They can be used to produce either only district heat or both district heat and electricity.
Small nuclear power plants utilize an advanced version of the same technology as traditional nuclear power plants, which have been used in Finland for nearly 50 years. Their size is simply smaller. The largest reactors intended for small nuclear power plants are about one-third the size of modern large plant reactors, and the smallest are only one-hundredth the size. This also affects the reactors’ fuel consumption, which decreases almost proportionally. The raw material requirement for nuclear power over its entire lifecycle, relative to the energy produced, is lower than for any other currently used form of energy production.
Thanks to their small size and advanced safety solutions, small nuclear power plants can be located within the reach of the district heating network. In addition to producing virtually no carbon dioxide emissions, the plant does not generate harmful fine particle emissions. A small nuclear power plant also does not require a large land area. This is an advantage especially in a city like Helsinki, where available, suitable land is very limited. Additionally, depending on the plant type, the reactor can be located either entirely or partially underground.