Areva, Toshiba invited to bid for new Finnish nuclear plant

Finnish nuclear power company Fennovoima on Friday invited French nuclear giant Areva and Japan's Toshiba to bid for the construction of a new power plant.

"The bids are requested for the delivery and construction of reactor and turbine islands," the company said, explaining it would decide the final model during negotiations based on the bids.

"Fennovoima chose Areva and Toshiba as plant supplier alternatives in 2008 and since then, technical development work has been done with both companies as well as with alternative turbine suppliers Alstom and Siemens," it added.

German energy giant EON holds a 34 percent stake in Fennovoima, which was established in 2007.

Finland has four nuclear reactors at two sites. A fifth reactor is based on Areva's European Pressurised Reactor (EPR).

It had initially been scheduled for completion in April 2009 but is now not expected to be ready until 2012, coming on line in the second half of 2013.

(c) 2011 AFP