Finland-Russia/nuclear power
Rosatom brings in dubious Croatian partner
Commenting on the submission to the Finnish government of a nuclear power plant construction application by the Finnish energy company Fennovoima together with Russian company Rosatom, Greens/EFA co-president Rebecca Harms said:
"Rosatom has managed to get a Croatian energy company Migrit Solarna Energija with no nuclear experience and hardly any capital to step in at the last minute to save this flagship Russian project for construction of a nuclear plant on Finnish soil. We trust the Finnish energy minister Olli Rehn to duly investigate the viability of this unexpected arrangement and to exclude possible Russian links. It is difficult to see this as serving the Finns’ public interest.
We have seen Rosatom's way of doing business, for example in Belene in Bulgaria where it is suing Bulgaria for €1bn for freezing a planned nuclear power plant construction project.
Investing in a strategy based on renewables and energy efficiency is the best way to react to Russia's power game. It will also help Finland create new jobs and bring the economic growth that the country needs.”
Background:
The Finnish parliament required a 60% national (EU-EFA) ownership to be gathered by 30 June 2015 after Russian Rosatom became involved in the project, both as a contractor and a shareholder.
Finnish energy company Fortum had earlier announced its willingness to take a 15% share to help fulfil the required national ownership. The participation was made conditional to the conclusion of the negotiations on hydropower joint venture with Gazprom.
A week ago Fortum announced that the deal was not concluded and that it had to withdraw from the Fennovoima project. Fennovoima had to find new shareholder from EU-EFA area.
