Studies in electrical and automation engineering provided good foundation for position of equipment coordinator in OL3 electrical maintenance

Teemu Hietanen, age 31, obtained his Bachelor of Engineering degree from the Satakunta University of Applied Sciences (SAMK) in 2018. His thesis addressed the processing and utilisation of the results of plant data verification at the Olkiluoto 3 plant unit.

- I started in Olkiluoto in 2017 as a documentation engineer with a subcontractor of TVO, Nipromec Oy as my employer. I transferred to TVO’s employment in 2018. Many employees have started their career in Olkiluoto in one of the subcontractor companies, Hietanen says.

When starting his studies in electrical and automation engineering at SAMK, Tampere-born Hietanen did not plan a career in a nuclear power plant.

- At that time, I hardly knew anything about nuclear power plants in Finland.

Working today as the equipment coordinator in electrical maintenance at the OL3 plant unit, Hietanen says he is well pleased with his work.

- Many things got sorted out over the years. I found a wife in Eura and during a visit in Olkiluoto organised by SAMK to learn about the operation of nuclear power plants I became interested in the nuclear sector.

Hietanen believes that working as an electrical and automation engineer in Olkiluoto is to a large extent similar to other sectors of industry, with some minor exceptions.

- The thing that makes Olkiluoto unique is naturally how issues related to radiation safety are such an important part of day-to-day activities.

Engineering degree provided good foundation

The staff working in OL3 electrical maintenance is some 20 strong, mechanics and engineers. There are nine equipment coordinators, each with their own area of responsibility. Hietanen’s area covers approximately 1,300 electrical actuators, from fist-size gadgets to reactor coolant system components weighing hundreds of kilograms. Knowledge of the operation of all the equipment is necessary.

- The duties of an equipment coordinator include maintenance planning, keeping in contact with equipment suppliers, and preparing maintenance instructions. In case of equipment failures, the coordinator assumes the role of an expert advisor. We work closely and efficiently together with the operating shift staff at OL3, Hietanen explains.

In electrical maintenance, the staff works normal day shift hours. Annual outages are a different story and flexibility is needed. For maintenance personnel, for example, workdays can be 12 hours long during service outages.

- Although the job of an equipment coordinator is a day job, you need to show up whenever circumstances require your presence. On the other hand, TVO is a flexible employer and I think such flexibility should be reciprocal.

Hietanen feels that a Bachelor’s degree in electrical and automation engineering has provided a good foundation for his current position.

- There is not a lot of design work involved in this job, of course. But then again, my job description includes plenty of field work at the plant and tackling elaborate problems. In a complex plant, work is multidisciplinary and you learn things also outside your own field, such as process technology. These are features which I especially appreciate in my work.

For Hietanen, the best part of his work is the diversity of the activities he carries out every day, and the good morale of the maintenance team. At TVO, mutual help between colleagues is self-evident.

- One must be prepared for urgent and unexpected malfunctions that can happen at any time, day and night. Although in electrical maintenance we all have our own niche, we need to familiarise ourselves also with the responsibility areas of others to be able to cover holidays and other absences.

According to Hietanen, the mechanics and engineers at TVO have a mindset geared towards learning. This is reflected in the wide interest that professionals of this sector have in complicated cases of malfunctioning, for example.

- One can always learn something new for future needs from an elaborate equipment failure. Constructive performance criticism is also a good thing, since the most beautiful diamonds are created under the highest pressure, Hietanen says.

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Studies towards MSc degree well underway

When Hietanen completed his studies at the Satakunta University of Applied Sciences, he did not think he would study anything again for a long time. He had a change of heart after a few years and is currently studying for a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering at the Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology LUT.

- The start of the studies was a really busy time, but now the pace has eased a little. According to plans, I will graduate in about eighteen months, which will hopefully open some new doors careerwise, Hietanen says.

- The plan is to find a topic for my thesis at TVO. It is a win-win situation for the employer and the employee if a thesis can produce new information. There is always room for improvement.

Apart from work and studies, Hietanen has also been kept busy at home, mainly because of his two daughters born 2021 and 2025.

- Six years ago, my wife and I bought a house by Lake Pyhäjärvi in Eura and have refurbished it completely. The free time that work, studies, and family life allow I spend hunting in the autumn as a member of the Lallin Pojat hunting club.

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Teksti: Timo Sillanpää
Photos: Tapani Karjanlahti