Finland opens two reserve power plants over European energy crisis fears

Fingrid says move taken to prevent electricity blackouts

An outage at Olkiluoto nuclear power plant triggered the decision. (MARTTI KAINULAINEN/AFP via Getty Images)

Two back-up power plants have been fired up in Finland amid Europe’s deepening energy crisis.

Fingrid, the Nordic country’s power grid operator, said on Thursday that the decision had been taken in an attempt to shore up the country’s electricity system and try and avoid blackouts.

The opening of the Huutokoski and Forssa reserve power plants was sparked by an outage at one of the country’s nuclear reactors and by a drop in wind power production, according to Fingrid.