Atomic Policy in Finland

Nuclear Renaissance? - Anti-nuclear Protests in Finland

For many years Finland was internationally regarded as the country of the so-called "nuclear renaissance" (a worldwide increasing number of new reactor projects was utilized by the atomic lobby to pretend this industry to have a prospering future). The very first EU reactor design after the Chernobyl catastrophe, the European Pressurized Water Reactor EPR, developed by the French Framatome (these days Areva) and the German Siemens company, was to be constructed as a prototype in Olkiluoto in Finland. At the same time a site for final disposal of high level radioactive waste was started (not in operation yet) there, called Onkalo. Pro-nuclear media and lobby claimed Finnish people to be supporting the atomic plans, and for a long time it was impossible to correct this media image.

Decades ago, when the first atomic sites for NPPs were established in Lovisa and Olkiluoto, a strong anti-nuclear movement was protesting this policy. However, most active people gave up when the reactors were built and only a small number of activists continued campaigning and advocating against atomic power afterwards. In 2008 with an “International Anti Nuclear Festival” for the first time since years interested people, activists and organizers gathered nearby Olkiluoto starting something that developed to a new, young anti-nuclear movement. Since that time several international campaigns, projects and events were started. Focus was on Olkiluoto III, uranium mining in Tervola and Ranua as well as on the proposed EON NPP in northern Finland. In the beginning of November 2012 a major environmental catastrophe took place at the Talvivaara nickel and uranium mine. Thousands of cubic meters of toxic and radioactive waste waters were released in a spill event. Immediately thousands of people stood up protesting the uranium mining in Talvivaara and demanding the site to be closed. A number of new people have joined the anti-nuclear movement in Finland due to the Talvivaara spill. Many new initiatives were started and we have an enthusiastic atmosphere within the anti-nuclear struggle here now.

The movement is formed by many small groups of activists, partly connected to environmental NGOs, but mostly of grassroots type. In 2010 the publicly announced "Olkiluoto Blockade" was the first nation-wide gathering of anti-nuclear activists in Finland with a bigger opportunity to discuss strategies and to meet many activists in person. Stragety discussions take place locally, and especially southern groups are in a deeper exchange with each other. Other connected movements have been established in more northern parts of Finland against uranium and against the EON NPP attempts.