Wolf Klaus was interested in electricity already as a young boy

- I have worked at TVO as an electrical fitter, a preventive maintenance technician, a foreman, a Team Manager and now I work as a specialist till the end of the year, when I retire, Wolf Klaus sums up.

A reminder to the posterity: keep the machines running!

- As a young boy, my plan was to become a marine radio operator. I started studies in Rauma Maritime College, but realised it wasn't my thing after all. I then transferred to the Technical College in Rauma to study electrical engineering.

Witness to interesting times

When Wolf Klaus started at TVO, new state-of-the-art technology was being commissioned at the OL1 unit and the second unit was under construction. – I've seen it all from the building excavation to plant units in operation. Not everybody can boast having witnessed all that, Wolf concludes with pride.

- I first worked as an electrical fitter at TVO's electrical workshop. After a few years I was appointed a preventive maintenance technician and then a foreman in battery maintenance, Wolf explains. For the past three years or so, he has worked as a generator specialist. – I know generators and how they work, and most importantly, how they are not supposed to work, Wolf sums up the experience he has gained over the years.

Knows generators down to every detail

When I started working with generators, my superior was Tage Malén, who has since retired. He was my instructor and my mentor. I am really grateful to him for everything I learned. When Tage retired, I took over work related to generators for a good ten years, until it was the turn of a younger generation to step in.

- During the early years, generators broke down quite frequently and rotors had to be replaced often, and there was always a lot of repair and maintenance work to be carried out. You certainly learned the innermost secrets of the generators. Ever since, generators have been my favourites. After all, they are the actual electricity producers, Wolf points out with a smile.

Never missed an annual outage

Wolf Klaus has worked in every one of TVO's annual outages. The first outages took place in 1979 and the current outage period is already the 35th. The 33rd annual outage started at OL2 at the beginning of June. This means that all in all, Wolf will have seen 67 annual outages, when he retires at the turn of the year.

- The first annual outages were prolonged due to generator troubles – as they had all kinds of teething problems – particularly the rotors. We had to struggle with them day and night. We worked in three shifts, and the plant supplier's representatives were also involved.

- Nowadays the outage period is much shorter than in the early years, because we have learned over the years to execute the maintenance work more efficiently, thanks to e.g. good advance planning.

International cooperation

Work has taken Wolf Klaus also abroad to supervise the manufacture of generators at the suppliers' plants in e.g. Sweden and Poland. – It has been great to witness the manufacture of the equipment. At the factories, you get an opportunity to see the whole machine, both the tiny fittings and the large components. Watching the manufacturing process you have the chance to learn to know even better the equipment and how it works.

Career highlights

- I have participated in the replacement of two generators. After a major operation, a successful start-up has truly been a fascinating moment. A successful result is naturally always dependent on competent people. We have been lucky to work with excellent cooperation partners from the plant supplier's side; the quality of their work has been high and we have been able to trust them.

- I appreciate the opportunity that I have had in my current job to guide new and skilled co-workers and to share with them the knowledge that I have acquired over the years.

"To sail is necessary; to live is not"

- This spring I took the days-off and holidays accumulated over the years, and found that I don't have to worry about having nothing to do. I am a passionate sailor and I expect our sailing trips will be longer when I retire. In previous years my wife and I have made voyages that have lasted about a month, but come next sailing season, we will spend the whole summer on the boat and probably sail somewhere further away – maybe beyond the Ahvenanmaa archipelago and all the way to Sweden, Mr. Wolf plans the future.

- In the winter, outside the boating season, we will probably travel. Our two grandchildren also make sure we don't have too much time on our hands.

- I have been happy at TVO. I was lucky to be an employee here during the best years in the history of the Company.