UNCLAS HELSINKI 000567

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
STATE FOR JOSETTE SHINER
DOE FOR CLAY SELL

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ENRG TRGY PARM PREL KNNP FI RU
SUBJECT: FINNISH NUCLEAR SAFETY

REF: A. HELSINKI 499 B. HELSINKI 505


1. (SBU) On June 1, Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja
told Ambassador Ware that Finland is willing to provide
nuclear safety technology and assistance as part of the
package of incentives the U.S., the EU3 and Russia intend
to offer Iran to defuse the current standoff over Iran's
weapon's program (ref A). Finnish nuclear safety experts
are very familiar with Russian technology and hardware, and
their nuclear storage and safety capabilities are generally
considered to be among the best in the world. This cable
offers an internal Embassy analysis of this Finnish
capability.


2. (SBU) In the late 1970s and early 1980s Finland built
two nuclear power plants (NPPs) using VVER pressurized
water reactors from the Soviet Union. Finnish experts note
that the reactor cores, reactor vessel, heat exchangers and
turbines were well designed and engineered, but lacked
control and safety systems that met Western standards, and
had no containment. Finland had to render the VVER
reactors safe by fitting western (mostly German, British
and U.S.) control and safety systems to the Soviet power
unit. Containment proved a gargantuan task. The Finns
achieved the nearly impossible by designing and building
the world's largest containment buildings to fit around the
awkward Soviet apparatus.


3. (SBU) This thorough understanding of Soviet nuclear
technology enabled the Finns to write the definitive
rulebook for safe operation of VVER reactors. Finland's
two Soviet reactors hold third and fourth place in the
world in terms of capacity load factor ranking (the ability
to operate safely and produce at nearly maximum output.)
Finland's Swedish built reactors hold world ranking places
one and two.


4. (SBU) Finland also has developed expertise in the
operations of the other Soviet reactor design, the RBMK
(reactor bolshoy moshchnosty kanalny - high-power channel
reactor) - the "Chernobyl type" - reactor. A major NPP
employing this design lies just across the Gulf of Finland
at Sosnovyi Bor, west of St. Petersburg. Finland devoted
considerable effort in the mid 1990s to develop safe
operations procedures for this plant - which was clearly in
Finland's own interest. This graphite-moderated boiling
water reactor was originally designed for the production of
plutonium, but as it produces a great amount of easily
retrievable heat, the Soviets modified it for electricity
generation. Since the design is inherently unstable,
Finland cooperated closely in the international project to
upgrade RBMK reactors and their operations procedures,
alarm systems and radiation monitors.


5. (SBU) COMMENT: Whether or not the Russians would welcome
Finnish improvements to the reactor they intend to offer as
part of the incentive package remains an unanswered
question. However, from a political and technical
perspective the Finns are well placed to make a timely,
welcome contribution to the incentives package.

WARE