The Finnish nuclear safety agency STUK authroised French contractor Areva on Thursday to resume welding on pipes for a new nuclear reactor after cracks were judged to pose no safety risk.
A consortium led by French firm Areva and Germany's Siemens is building the world's first pressurised water nuclear reactor for Finnish energy group Teollisuuden Voima (TVO) in Olkiluoto, southwestern coast of Finland.
Pipes which will run between the nuclear reactor and its steam generator are being welded in France by Areva, but last month STUK called the work off after some microscopic cracks were found on them.
But officials said the damage was not sufficiently serious to warrant any further stoppages.
"The material is so stiff and thick that when it cools down after welding fractures like these can occur," Jukka Laaksonen, director general of STUK, told AFP.
He said a letter and a report had been sent to noth Areva and TVO on Thursday to explain the findings.
Laaksonen added that all the pipes would be later checked with ultrasound, to make sure there were no fractures inside.
Areva's managing director in Finland welcomed the news.
"We have reached a level of quality that is sufficient. STUK wanted to make sure that pipes fulfill safety requirements," Osmo Kaipainen said.
Major delays have hampered the building of Finland's fifth nuclear reactor over the past few years and is not now expected to start producing electricity until 2012.
It was originally scheduled to be ready in 2009.
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