Finland may get its fifth nuclear powerplant following the national parliament's late May vote to approve in principle plans for a new unit. The privately-owned, Helsinki-based utility Teollisuuden Voima Oy (TVO) will now prepare bidding documents for various types of pressurized-water and boiling-water reactors before seeking construction permits for the $1.5- to 2.3-billion plant.

Getting international bid documents ready will take "months rather than years," says TVO spokesman Ahti Toivola. He says the company will likely invite bids for U.S., Swedish and French BWR technology. It has also narrowed down its preferred PWR options to U.S., French and Russian systems.