Why could we build nuclear power plants so much faster in the 1970s and 1980s?

Why could we build nuclear power plants so much faster in the 1970s and 1980s?

It's a question worth asking.

During the 1970s and 1980s, countries such as France, Japan, the United States and the Soviet Union commissioned dozens of nuclear reactors in what now seems like remarkably short timeframes.

Today, even with modern engineering tools, digital design, advanced manufacturing and vastly greater computing power, delivering a new nuclear power plant often takes much longer.

So what changed?

Many assume the answer is reactor technology.
But that's only part of the story.

Over the past four decades, the nuclear industry has changed in ways that go far beyond reactor design. Supply chains have contracted, manufacturing capacity has declined in many regions, experienced workforces have retired, licensing has become more complex, and every new project often starts almost from scratch instead of building on a repeatable programme.

Perhaps the biggest challenge facing nuclear today isn't designing reactors.
It's rebuilding the industrial ecosystem that once allowed them to be delivered at scale.

The future of nuclear will depend not only on better reactors, but on stronger supply chains.

KEC International reports lower first-quarter net profit for 2026-27

First-quarter 2026-27 financial performance

KEC International Limited reported a net profit of Rs 0.73 billion for the quarter ending June 2026. The company said this result represents a decrease of about 42 per cent compared with Rs 1.25 billion in the same quarter a year earlier.

Total income for the quarter ending June 2026 was Rs 50.37 billion. This was reported as an increase of about 0.18 per cent versus Rs 50.28 billion in the corresponding period of the previous year.

Supply-chain relevance for nuclear vendors

While the disclosure does not provide project- or customer-specific information, contractor financial updates can be used by supply-chain stakeholders to monitor vendor health and resilience. In this case, the quarter’s profit decline contrasts with relatively stable income levels, which may be relevant for assessing near-term profitability trends.

Loviisa turbine island modernisation gets under way; automation and seawater pumps targeted

Licence extension frames the work to 2050

Loviisa, the first nuclear power plant in Finland, has two VVER-440 pressurised water reactors that began commercial operation in 1977 (unit 1) and 1981 (unit 2). In February 2023, the Finnish government granted Fortum an extension to the operating licence for both units, allowing generation to continue until the end of 2050.

Low-pressure turbine renewal and automation update

The modernisation of the low-pressure turbines is described as the largest single project in the turbine island programme. It involves renewing the housings and internal parts of the plant’s eight low-pressure turbines, with the stated aim of significantly improving turbine efficiency to enable higher electricity production without increasing the reactor’s thermal power.

The turbine automation upgrade will replace turbine protection and control systems and related actuators on both units. The upgrade is intended to update the systems to current technical requirements, with the goal of improving reliability, maintainability and availability of spare parts. In parallel, generator auxiliary systems will be modernised to enhance real-time monitoring and control from the control room.

Cooling-process pumps replaced as service life nears end

The programme also includes modernisation of the main seawater pumps used in the condenser cooling process. Both units operate four main seawater pumps that circulate seawater to the condensers, where steam leaving the turbines is cooled back to water and returned to the plant process.

The current pumps and motors are approaching the end of their technical service life, so they are being replaced under Fortum’s long-term investment programme.

Supply scope and staged delivery through 2028

Fortum said the modernisation programme will be implemented in stages up to 2028 in connection with annual maintenance outages, supporting continued operation through the end of the turbine service life.

The work is being delivered under a contract signed in May 2024 for the turbine island modernisation by the Czech company Doosan Škoda Power.

Turbine automation will be supplied by the Finnish company Valmet, while the main seawater pumps are being delivered by Andritz from Austria.

Fortum expects the staged upgrades to increase total capacity by about 38 MWe from the plant’s current capacity of 1,014 MWe. Over the licence period, the expected generation is raised from 170 TWh to 177 TWh.

  • Fortum cited component ageing and changing operating conditions, including increased uncertainty around support and spare parts for some original equipment and system suppliers, as drivers for the modernisation.

Investment levels

Fortum invested about EUR70 million last year in refurbishing the Loviisa plant. The company estimates that investments connected to continuation of operations and lifetime extension will amount to about EUR1 billion by 2050.