​From engineering works to electricity production

Esko Wahlman can be called a TVO veteran. He started at TVO towards the end of 1977 having had previously worked in metal industry. - I considered the job change carefully, but have never during my 35 years and 10 months at TVO regretted the decision I made.

Ironclad plant knowledge based on years of experience

Wahlman started as a Site foreman, then obtained the licence of a turbine operator, and after passing the degree examination of an engineer, alongside a full-time job, took over the tasks of a Shift Supervisor.

In the early years, process isolation lists and shift work rosters were filled out by hand. - In the old times, we could go to the plant to implement process isolations with just the flow diagram to guide us. Today, the instructions and various isolation lists are carefully planned and reviewed. Computers play an important role in these activities. The possibility of human error has become extremely low.

- Good plant knowledge is useful also in the periodic regulatory licence examinations. With the functions of the plant more or less ingrained in your muscle memory, you need not fret about the examinations. Employees here know the systems and the procedures like the back of their hands - or maybe better.

From commissioning to annual outages

- The commissioning stage was a hectic and interesting period of time. We worked together with the plant supplier’s employees and several languages were spoken: Swedish, English, German... After installations and commissioning tests had been successfully completed, Olkiluoto 1 was connected to the national grid on the second day of September in 1978.

In 1992, Wahlman was appointed Annual Outage Coordinator. - As Annual Outage Coordinator, there was never any shortage of work - particularly during the outages, when the goal is to do everything as efficiently and swiftly as possible within a tight schedule, Esko sums up.

The experience he had gained in the tasks of a Shift Supervisor were essential in the work of Annual Outage Coordinator. - The work description of Coordinator is widened by interaction with other TVO employees and subcontractors, as matters need to be dealt with on the entire plant site and not just from the control room. Good networks are extremely important and make work much easier.

Important to transfer knowledge to next generation

- Passing experiences to the next generation is very important, Wahlman emphasises. - There are lessons to be learned from the experience of old veterans like myself, because we had a true hands-on approach to work. All information and instructions are nowadays obtained from computer programs and practical knowledge is to a large extent limited to what you learn in your own job.

- TVO has an excellent training system in terms of e.g. plant operations and the training methods are continuously developed. It would be hard to find a better level of training anywhere, even on international scale. How interested you stay in learning is up to you, but TVO gives everybody the opportunity to learn, Wahlman praises the Company.