In reactor core business for forty years

Mikael Solala, the Head of the Fuel Unit, sits in his office on the sixth floor of Kuparitalo (Copper House) on Töölönkatu Street in Helsinki, tapping the desk thoughtfully with a pen. The rays of sun streaming through the window on a February morning play on the office walls and highlight the road dust gathered on the outside of the window during the dark winter. Mr. Solala sits up and starts to tell his story.

- I studied engineering physics at the Technical University in Otaniemi. I was wondering about summer jobs, when a friend tipped me off that the Fuel Office of Teollisuuden Voima might have something to offer to a physics student. So I contact the Head of the Office, Ilkka Mikkola and got into a job interview, Solala starts his story.

Solala was selected for the job and this was the start of his long journey, rich in experiences, round the reactor core and nuclear fuel. His very first work assignment was to analyse the results of the commissioning tests of the reactor core at the Olkiluoto 1 plant.

- My summer job particularly focused on how the 24-hour regulation test carried out at OL1 impacted the loads acting on the fuel rod during power changes, Solala specifies.

This was in the summer of 1979. Solala did so well in his summer job that when he graduated, TVO employed him as a fuel engineer in the Fuel Management Division headed by Esa Mannola.

- Throughout my career all my work tasks have been associated with the reactor core and nuclear fuel.

To begin with, I carried out various duties related to the different phases of fuel procurement. Mr. Mannola, whom I worked under for a long time, guided me in work connected to reactor physics and reactor performance. Eero Patrakka was my Supervisor in work tasks which pertained to the early phases of the fuel cycle and fuel manufacture.

Solala worked as a reactor physicist and then in managerial duties until 2008, when his area of responsibility was extended to cover also the procurement of nuclear fuel. As of 2015, Solala has worked in his current position as the Head of Fuel Unit in Electricity Production.

- There have been all kinds of funny happenings over the years. I think it was in late 1990s when we were working in cooperation with physicists from the Japanese TEPSYS to develop software designed to make the reactor core design of a BWR more efficient. We were out with them enjoying a spring night in Rauma, exchanging cultural views, when one of the Japanese physicists decided to give us a demonstration of the banzai shout. The waiter dropped their tray and the whole restaurant went completely silent at this blood curdling demonstration. It took some time before the staff plucked up their courage to enquire about our further plans for the night. The episode ended well, however, and later that night our Japanese colleague repeated the performance several times on requests of the other restaurant guests, Mr. Solale reminisces with a small smile on his lips.

But what has made the man stay at TVO for the whole of his career? Mr. Solala says that his work has been a source of great enjoyment and he has found all the tasks assigned to him inspiring and interesting. He has had the honour of meeting many talented and dedicated persons in the course of his work, and they have for their part inspired and encouraged him to constant self-development.

- One of the good aspects of my job is that the work we carry out has always had a long-term goal which we strive to accomplish. On the other hand, I have been able to build the new tasks assigned to me as another layer on or a continuation to my previous work experience. These have all contributed to me feeling content with my work for so long, Mr. Solala sums up.