New nuclear growth phase opens up opportunities for TVONS

This can be seen in practice also at TVO Nuclear Services, or TVONS.

– Enquiries come in actively and the market clearly at the moment has a need for an actor with NPP operator background, explains Managing Director Ari Leppänen.

The advisory services of TVONS range from isolated expert assignments to cooperation packages over a longer period of time. For each customer, an experienced Advisor is typically appointed who works closely together with the customer and builds up a more extensive supporting network of experts, if necessary. This ensures that the customer has one clear contact partner with an overall perception of the goals, challenges and upcoming phases of the project.

The experts of TVONS support the customers with, for example, technological choices, project start-up processes, setting up operating organisations, and project management. The services are based most of all on experience in NPP ownership and operation – an understanding of not only design and building, but also of the commissioning and safe operation of the plant over several decades.

– Correct timing of everything that is done has a great impact on both the schedule and the costs of the project.

Rare experience in full lifecycle

The competitive edge of TVONS is most of all based on the exceptionally wide experience accumulated in Olkiluoto of the full lifecycle of nuclear power – from the design and construction of new plants to their operation and modernisation projects, and all the way to the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel.

In practice, we cover the entire lifecycle of nuclear power on one and the same island. We have built and operated nuclear powers plants, managed large-scale investment projects and through Posiva, we have also been part of the world’s first solution for the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel, Leppänen says.

The experience has been accumulated from the OL1 and OL2 plants that have been reliably in operation for decades, as well as from the design, construction and commissioning of the OL3 unit. The preparatory work for the OL4 project also brought with it valuable knowledge on the management of large-scale nuclear power projects.

In addition to the expertise amassed in Olkiluoto, TVONS has added to its experience also in several international customer projects. Practical lessons learned in different operating environments complement the knowledge gained in Olkiluoto and strengthen the company’s capabilities in supporting nuclear power projects of different types.

– We do not provide only theoretical services, but proven experience in what will work and what should be done at the different stages of the project.

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Advisor with customer’s interests at heart

TVONS is not a plant supplier nor does it build power plants. The company’s role is to provide independent advisory services to the customer, particularly at the early stages of the project.

– The plant supplier builds the power plant, but the future operator must simultaneously build its own organisation, operating procedures, and safety culture. This is where we can provide our practical experience and knowledge from similar projects to the customer.

The service portfolio of TVONS also includes reviews of technological alternative solutions, preparatory work for licensing, project management, procurement planning, and risk management.

– Based on our experience, we are able to identify what the customer should be doing right now and what next. Timely decision-making is often crucial to the success of the project.

Finnish expertise is trusted

One of the ongoing cooperation projects of TVONS is the role of an advisor in Estonia’s first NPP project, together with Fermi Energia, a company that is currently converting Estonia into a nuclear power country at speed.

According to Leppänen, first and foremost this cooperation is proof of the strong international reputation of Finnish nuclear expertise.

– It tells about trust. TVO is known as a safe and experienced operator, and the expertise of TVONS is also trusted. We have proven ourselves both in our own projects and also in several international customer projects.

Continued growth

The objective of TVONS is to strengthen its position as a reliable international provider of expert and advisory services in the nuclear power sector. At the same time, the company actively monitors market development, particularly the possibilities of Small Modular Reactors (SMR), and enhances its services to meet the changing needs of the sector.

The global growth of nuclear power appears to continue also in the upcoming years. The need for practical experience that cannot be learned from books or gained in just one project increases on par with this growth.

TVONS is tasked with ensuring that the knowledge amassed in Olkiluoto over the decades will help also next-generation nuclear power plants to be realised successfully – safely, on schedule, and cost-effectively.

Text: Ville Kulmala
Photos: Tapani Karjanlahti