Major Finnish nuclear power plant Olkiluoto 3 becomes operational on Sunday upon several years’ delay, writes Finnish media Yle and news agency AFP.

Olkiluoto 3 is the largest of its kind in Europe, capable of generating some 14% of Finland’s power consumption.

It was originally slated for launch in 2009.

In September last year, the power plant entered into a test phase, but the process of starting regular output has been subject to extensive delays.

And so, authorities failed in reaching their aspirations to have the plant running by the winter. Which wouldn’t have been totally amiss in lieu of the surging power prices on the war in Ukraine.

Nuclear power remains a controversial issue in Europe.

On one hand, it is an environmental friendly form of energy. And it requires less space than renewable energy sources like wind and solar.

On the other hand, nuclear power generates radioactive waste, which could cause severe harm to people and its environment if not sufficiently safe kept.

In 2011, the Japanese east coast suffered an earthquake and subsequent tsunami, which flooded the reactors on major nuclear power plant of Fukushima, causing the worst nuclear purge since Chernobyl in 1986.

And similar safety concerns have prompted Germany to opt for another direction than Finland.

On Saturday, the country shut down its last three remaining nuclear power plants, despite criticism from several climate scientists.

Berlin has been in the process of shutting down the nuclear power plants since 2002.

Former chancellor Angela Merkel propelled the phasing-out on account of the Japanese disaster.