Helsinki's Helen starts an environmental review for a small nuclear plant
From the Energy digest for Nov 5, 2026
Thread: newgen — tick-2026-11-05-helen-helsinki · new
What happened: Helen Ydinvoima Oy, the nuclear subsidiary of Helsinki energy company Helen, has published its Environmental Impact Assessment Programme for public consultation — the formal start of Finland's statutory EIA procedure for a small nuclear power plant in the city, with candidate sites at the Salmisaari and Vuosaari power plant areas and Norrberget. Options span a heat-only plant with 600 MW thermal capacity (630 MW reactor) and cogeneration plants with 700 MW thermal and 500 MW electrical capacity (a 1,400 MW reactor); the cogeneration option is only being assessed at Vuosaari and Norrberget, because Salmisaari lacks the space. The final plant may be smaller.
What's genuinely new: The two-stage EIA runs toward a report to be published in 2028, with statements and opinions collected on both the programme and the report, and a siting decision also targeted for 2028. Sweden's AFRY is the EIA consultant and is supporting the wider nuclear programme. Helen, which supplies heat, electricity and cooling to Helsinki, is aiming for carbon-neutral energy production by 2040, and says the plant would cut the load on transmission connections and strengthen Finland's energy self-sufficiency.
Watch: stakeholder statements on the EIA programme, the 2028 assessment report and siting decision, and Helen's choice of plant supplier.
Links: World Nuclear News · Nov 5, 5:40 AM ET