History in making at OL3 in spring – longest uninterrupted production period ever in Olkiluoto achieved in May

– This is a truly magnificent accomplishment, the Head of Operations at OL3, Jarno Lalli, begins.

He stresses that the record which has now been broken is not an achievement of a single unit or professional team, but an accomplishment of the entire organisation of TVO.

– Nobody can operate the plant single-handedly. In addition to the operating staff, the contributions of maintenance, chemistry, operations support and reactor engineering teams are needed, not forgetting excellent cooperation with safety surveillance. Each and every one plays a significant role, he gives praise.

The record was made possible by the current operating cycle of the OL3 plant unit being 18 months long. The other plant units in Olkiluoto are designed for annual outage intervals of about one year.

Time spent in commissioning reflected in results

It is well known that the commissioning of OL3 took much longer than originally planned, but Lalli credits many positive impacts to the delay.

– I said already at the time that doing well is more important than doing quickly. We carried out carefully designed tests and had the opportunity to provide extensive training to the personnel. In my opinion, it would have been more of a challenge to achieve this milestone without the delay, Lalli says.

– Despite the many negative aspects of the delay, we made the most of it in a very sensible manner. We refused to cut corners and instead highlighted problems openly to find solutions to them. It now pays off with the reliability of the plant.

Exceptionally good start in international comparison

According to Lalli, the journey of a new nuclear power facility to stable production is usually much bumpier, just like that of any other industrial production plant.

– Looking at similar plants elsewhere in the world, it usually takes five to seven years before their production reaches the stable level that we have now reached. The progress that we have made has been exceptionally good.

Also, there have been no reactor scrams during the production operation of OL3, which is a rare accomplishment for a new facility.

– We are already in the third operating cycle and the performance of the plant has been extremely strong also in global comparison, Lalli states.

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Committed personnel the key

Lalli names good cooperation as the greatest enabler of the accomplishment.

– The maintenance staff has shown unbelievable commitment. People accept ownership of their own systems and technical trades. If a problem occurs, they show up quickly and start troubleshooting immediately.

The chemistry team is also of great significance to the long-term safe operation of the plant.

– Chemistry plays a vital role in terms of both the condition of the systems and the sustained availability of the plant.

Lalli also extends special thanks to reactor engineers.

– The reactor engineers are really highly skilled professionals. They provide 24/7 support and make themselves available in person, if needed. That speaks volumes of a strong commitment.

Humbly towards new records

As significant as the accomplishment has been, nobody is resting on their laurels at the plant.

– Humble yet proud. We need to be constantly proactive and pre-emptive, ready for different situations, he emphasises.

Lalli says that the objective is to respond to the needs of the owners and to requirements based on the electricity system without compromising on safety.

– We have been able to respond to various regulating needs within clear boundary conditions. However, risks to safety or plant availability are never accepted.

The record-breaking production period showcases the results that can be achieved through forward-looking efforts, a transparent operating culture, and cooperation between different functions.

– This is a shared accomplishment of TVO as a whole, Lalli concludes.

Text: Ville Kulmala
Photos: Tapani Karjanlahti, Mikko Niemi

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