On May 22-24, Oulu Nuclear Forum is taking place in Finland, in Northern Ostrobothnia. It is organized by FinNuclear in cooperation with Rosatom State Nuclear Corporation with the support of the Rusatom – International Network, by Fennovoima and BusinessOulu.
The forum has gathered more than 200 participants, who are energy industry experts. This year is the second time the Forum is being held. The organizers hope that Oulu Nuclear Forum will become an annual tradition due to the growing interest towards the opportunities provided to Finnish entrepreneurs by the international collaboration in terms of the implementation of nuclear power projects, including the Hanhikivi-1 Nuclear Power Plant project. For example, 381 companies are currently on the list of those participating in the construction of the Hanhikivi-1 Nuclear Power Plant, 357 of them Finnish.
The agenda of Oulu Nuclear Forum includes speeches delivered by the Oulu Major Päivi Laajala, the supervisory authority of Radiation and Nuclear Safety Autonomy STUK, and the companies of Rosatom State Nuclear Corporation RAOS Project Oy, Atomenergomash, the major construction subcontractor Titan-2, and also Finnish participants of the Hanhikivi-1 Nuclear Power Plant project. On the first day, the representatives of Fennovoima, RAOS Project Oy, Titan-2 have presented the main requirements towards the subcontractors of Hanhikivi-1 Nuclear Power Plant project, the opportunities for collaboration, the coming tenders, and the procedure for licensing the stages of construction of the NPP. The second day of the Forum will cover issues of maintenance and safety requirements, as well as the exchange of experience of participation in the Hanhikivi-1 Nuclear Power Plant project.
The main organizer of Oulu Nuclear Forum is the FinNuclear Association. The purpose of the Association is to improve the conditions for Finnish companies working in nuclear sector production, construction and maintenance, and to support collaboration, resource development, and the strengthening of the international positions of the players. “FinNuclear, also famous abroad, strives to strengthen the positions of Finnish companies and to integrate them into the Hanhikivi-1 Nuclear Power Plant construction project. We explain the importance of following the special requirements imposed on the business activity by the safety culture in the nuclear power sphere to the local companies,” says Rauno Liikamaa, FinNuclear projects manager.
According to the organizers of the forum, Oulu and the neighboring regions are becoming the center of international cooperation in the nuclear power sphere and related projects. The implementation of the Hanhikivi-1 Nuclear Power Plant project will attract international investors to the region and strengthen the positions of Finnish companies participating in the construction on the international markets.