Construction work at the new Olkiluoto reactor in Finland, being built by Areva of France, continues apace, as some spectacular photos show.
The pictures are a sign that anyone hoping that the reactor will be such a huge commercial disaster that it will deter all other investment in nuclear power is likely to be disappointed.
The Olkiluoto OL3 project has been dogged by problems, most recently the dispute between Areva and TVO, the Finnish electricity company that will own and run the reactor.
As Areva put it in its results statement at the end of last month:
Areva has sent the client documents detailing the methods of execution for the final phases of the project that are in accordance with standard industry practices for the construction of turnkey power plants. Areva will only commence the final phases of the construction when TVO has agreed upon the proposals that have been made or issued contract amendments that provide for the requested modifications, both in terms of costs and time lines.
That did not mean that work was coming to a halt immediately, but it faced the prospect of an indefinite delay.
