Work has taught Power Market Manager Rasmus Somerkoski to be an early riser

For Somerkoski who originally comes from Satakunta, Olkiluoto had been a potential workplace for quite some time. He was also well aware of the significant role of Finland’s largest electricity producer in the power market. Then things turned into reality towards the end of 2023 when his current position was set up.

- I felt this would be a great position for my personal growth. I had been in my previous job for almost 10 years and however much I enjoyed my work, the possibility of challenging myself and even creating something new really appealed to me, he says.

Somerkoski has followed the energy market for work for almost exactly a decade now. A lion’s share of this in the employ of Pori Energia. Also the fact that he was already familiar with the Operations Committees of the Mankala companies through his previous job lowered the threshold to seek to work in Olkiluoto.

Roses to his team

And how does a normal workday of a Power Market Manager look like? Before giving an actual answer, Rasmus Somerkoski wishes to emphasise the team instead of the individual. The words team and cooperation come up several times during the interview. Managerial duties play a big role with Somerkoski heading a team of six persons.

- My team consists of six extremely skilled and knowledgeable operations planning engineers and we do this work together. While I may able to coach them in matters related to the power market, they have already taught me a lot about the operation of a nuclear power plant.

His concise description of the core task of his team is that they make sure the Olkiluoto nuclear power plants are used in the electricity market in an as optimal manner as possible.

- In practice, we are the link between production and the energy market, he sums up.

The work carried out by the team includes a lot of development activities designed to ensure that the needs of Teollisuuden Voima’s shareholder companies are fulfilled. With the Olkiluoto nuclear power plants operating in accordance with the Mankala principle, TVO is “only” an electricity producer. The company has direct operations only in the reserve market.

- In other words, the marketing and use of the electricity produced here is primarily in the hands of the shareholder companies, the largest ones being Pohjolan Voima and Fortum, Somerkoski explains.

A topical example of an improvement area defined by the shareholders is related to the need to regulate the production output of also nuclear power plants due to strong price fluctuations. And this is a whole new thing, at least on the current scale. Traditionally, nuclear power has been produced in Finland at full 100% output.

All work associated with regulation requires a long-term approach. The possible risks must always be taken into account and regulating operations must be carried out with complete control over the situation as a whole. This is why we are really not comparable with other fired plants, Somerkoski points out.

Work days start early

The work day of the Power Market Manager starts early. On the day of the interview, Somerkoski has switched on his computer at 6:20 in the morning, like he does almost every day. The reasons for the early start include both the reporting duties of the team and the obligations related to production planning.

- For our team, we start the morning by drawing up reports for STUK based on the 24-hours operations reports. These indicate the status of the plant and any significant events during the previous 24 hours, he begins.

The reports must be ready for the Operation organisations before 8 am to give also the Heads of the organisations time to review them for their part. The same information must be sent to the regulating authority prior to 10 am.

In addition to these reporting duties, participation in production planning is also an essential part of the power market team’s job description. This is because the energy market must be informed – and this is also a job for the mornings – about not only the regulating capacity of the Olkiluoto plant units but also about the amount of megawatts offered to the national grid. The reserve market must also be provided with tender data.

- The tender data must be submitted by eight in the morning and other input data, such as the participation of our battery storage in Fingrid’s system protection by nine o’clock. Half an hour after this, we must have on paper the technical boundary conditions of the plant for each fifteen-minute period of the next 24 hours, Somerkoski describes the routines of his team.

- One has learned to be a morning person with all this, he admits.

Where expectations fulfilled?

And did the reality meet his expectations? Has work in Olkiluoto been like he thought it would be?

- It has been pretty well as I expected, but the scale of us as an operator has been something of a surprise, however, he says.

Last year, Olkiluoto produced about 28 percent of all electricity produced in Finland. In other words, this production has a significant impact on the market.

And what is the thing that Rasmus enjoys most in his work?

- Maybe it is the opportunity to analyse and develop the way our plants could be operated in a new, even more optimal manner. That is, of course, what we are also expected to do, he says.

The extensive scale of the duties is also a challenge that he likes.

- Another thing that motivates me is that I get to work together with professionals in many different fields while at the same time creating something new, he explains.

The cooperation inside the company, across different organisations and teams, is in Rasmus’ view an absolute strength for Olkiluoto.

- Information flows well here. In general, I appreciate how people recognise the expertise of each other and matters are discussed openly and actually listening to others, Somerkoski tells.

Somerkoski is used to hybrid working. He estimates that his own working hours are divided about 50-50 between working from home and in the office. And his life does not get boring outside of working hours either. With two children aged three and two, it is quite hectic also at home. The biggest life change this autumn was the children starting in daycare in August.

Living in a detached house in Pori also adds to the active lifestyle. It is a well-known fact that one’s work is never done in a house like that.

In addition to the family and work, Somerkoski tries to find time to exercise. He has a history of very versatile sports activities. The range of sports he has engaged in has included ice-hockey and football, as well as also floorball, snowboarding, and padel as a more recent new activity.

- I try to exercise whenever I can – nowadays it is mainly jogging, gym, and padel.

Text: Ville Kulmala
Photos: Tapani Karjanlahti

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