Finland's decision for nuclear leads country into a dead end

Nuclear energy

Today the Finnish government decided to propose approvals for two new nuclear power reactors. The decision follows continuous technical and financial problems in the Olkiluoto 3 reactor which is still under construction. The Greens/EFA group in the European parliament support the Finnish Greens in their ongoing campaign against any new nuclear reactors. The decision will have to still be approved by the Finnish parliament either before summer or in the autumn.

Commenting on the government's decision, Green MEP Satu Hassi said:

"Finland is becoming a test dummy for big European power companies and nuclear industry, who shift the burden of the huge risks to Finnish people, whose majority does not support additional nuclear projects. Ignoring these warning signals may well be the biggest political mistake in Finland after the Second World War."

Rebecca Harms, chairperson of the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament said:

"In recent years renewable energies have become a booming business in many countries. Furthermore, while other industries have struggled during the economic crisis, the renewable industry has continued to grow. The decision to invest in high risk technology of the past instead of focussing on new alternative energies leaves Finland a developing country in the energy sector. It is a huge missed potential as Finland has invested heavily in engineering."

Green MEP Heidi Hautala added:

"The energy companies and largest political parties in Finland seem to be living in their own alternative reality where nuclear is the only option in energy policy whilst the rest of the world invests in renewables and energy saving. Even more worryingly, Finland is even considering exporting energy produced from nuclear sources and therefore will also have to take responsibility for the extra resulting nuclear waste. This is a dangerous move that should have been made clear to citizens before decisions were made.

We call upon the Finnish parliament to reconsider the decision carefully and assess the failures experienced in Olkiluoto 3 process before sidetracking Finnish energy policy once and for all."