Finland’s parliament has given the go-ahead to a controversial joint venture with the Russian energy firm, Rosatom, to build a new nuclear reactor in the north of the country.
The decision comes despite opposition from Finland’s Green party, which has accused prime minister, Alexander Stubb’s coalition government of subservience to Moscow. The vote was 115 to 74 in favour of the venture.
The joint project also ignores EU calls for members states to curtail new energy deals with Russia, following Moscow’s annexation of Crimea last spring.
Fennovoima, the Finnish consortium leading the project, said work started at the Pyhäjoki site, on the Finland’s west coast, in mid-September. Construction of the nuclear plant is scheduled for 2018, with commercial operations expected to begin in 2024.
Carl Haglund, Finland’s defence minister, defended collaboration with Rosatom, telling the Kauppalehti newspaper: “Finland has been closely cooperating with Russia on energy markets for a long time. It’s absolutely natural.”
The Finnish electricity company, Fortum, said this week it would take an up to 15% stake in the €6bn project, prospectively satisfying the government’s requirement that it be at least 60% Finnish-owned.
Rosatom is expected to provide most of the finance.
