The success of a project is often measured not only by the budget and schedule, but also by the end result, i.e. what the project has achieved. In Stenfors’ view, the most important of the three indicators is the end result that meets the objectives. This is precisely what the energy-critical mood of autumn 2022 has generally been very positive about OL 3. In the near future, Finland can achieve energy self-sufficiency. Thanks precisely to OL3 and the additional wind power construction.

– There are currently 57 nuclear power plants under construction worldwide,” says Jarkko Stenfors. At the same time, he points out that nuclear power plants generate almost half of Europe’s CO2-free electricity.

In Finland, the share of nuclear power in electricity generation will rise from 26% to almost 40% when OL3 becomes a regular production source. Net imports of electricity will also decrease accordingly.

Olkiluoto 3 nuclear power plant brings price and production stability

At full production, the approximately 12 TWh of electricity from OL3 will correspond to 14% of Finland’s total electricity demand. This is enough to heat 5.2 million apartment buildings or charge 3.6 electric cars, for example.

– The climate crisis must be addressed and carbon must be eliminated. In Finland, the advantages of nuclear power generation include the stability of the bedrock and shallow seas, where there is no risk of tsunamis. OL3 brings important energy price and production stability, which was the original aim,” Stenfors stresses.

At the time of this interview, the OL3 unit was up and running and producing significant amounts of electricity for the Finnish grid as planned. A few days later, however, the trial operation had to be interrupted due to unexpected cracks in the impellers of the feedwater pumps. The causes of the cracks had to be investigated. The extension of the trial operation programme was still open in mid-November, but the massive project is still due to end in January 2023, when OL3 should start generating electricity on a regular basis.

Lack of project skills crucial to failures

Jarkko Stenfors knows that there have been many failed nuclear projects in the world that have never achieved their goals.

– Since the 1970s, there have been 174 known failed projects in the US, 45 of which were aborted during construction. At worst, up to $9 billion has been spent in the US just to dig a hole for a reactor building,” says Stenfors.

There has also been a lot of research into the reasons for failures. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has carried out a study on the causes of nuclear project failures.

– One of the main reasons cited was a lack of project management,” recalls Stenfors.

The Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority’s 2010 report on the reasons for the delay of the Olkiluoto project also made the same point. According to the report, the problems were caused by the long pause in nuclear construction in Europe. During this break, the previous know-how had been lost due to the retirement of former experts.

Nuclear safety guidelines need standardised qualification requirements for project managers

The report produced for Congress in the US was also noticed in Finland, where project management requirements were added to the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority’s nuclear power plant guidelines. According to the existing guidelines, there must be procedures for the management of a nuclear plant construction project to ensure that issues of nuclear and radiation safety significance are dealt with at predefined organisational levels. This also applies to the management of the licensee’s project organisation.

– The management system must have documented procedures for the management, control and evaluation of the progress of projects. There are also requirements for documenting the project plan, risk management, human resources and quality plans, Stenfors explains.

According to Stenfors, welders involved in the construction of nuclear plants, for example, have clearly defined qualification requirements that entitle them to carry out such demanding welding. However, there are no equivalent international standard requirements for the qualifications of project personnel.

Jarkko Stenfors sees this as a shortcoming, as project competence can also be certified in an internationally comparable way. He wonders why there is no standardised qualification requirement for project management methods, project organisations, let alone project staff.

– To make more and more nuclear industry projects a success, standardised qualification requirements should also be introduced in legislation, Stenfors says.

Only qualified professionals for core project management

According to Stenfors, the IPMA’s ICB standard, for example, allows project specialists to be certified at levels A, B, C and D for managing large-scale plant projects. He himself is a B-level certified project manager.

According to Stenfors, project management competences can be divided into the following levels:

• Technical competence to carry out the project in a systematic way in accordance with the project management terms, concepts and processes defined in the international standard.
• Behavioural competence, which applies to interpersonal relations within the defined boundaries of the project
• Competence in the implementation environment, covering project management in both the internal and external environment of the organisation

According to Stenfors, as small modular nuclear power plants based on series production enter the commercialisation phase, the qualification requirements for project staff could possibly be relaxed.

– But we must be able to trust that these projects are also managed by people with proven competence,” he says.

– As project professionals, let us do everything we can to ensure that all future nuclear industry projects are successful.

Project expertise is a key success factor

Jarkko Stenfors, Programme Manager, works at Olkiluoto in Eurajoki as a project management professional for Posiva. He has 15 years of experience in managing challenging projects and developing project activities. For the last eight years he has worked mainly on spent nuclear fuel disposal. He has also been an IPMA Project Excellence Assessor since 2019.

The IPMA Level B-certified project manager says he has also been planning and scheduling his family’s Christmas preparations for several years. He can often turn up late and justifies this by the need to keep within budget and quality standards. On site, he follows the IPMA project excellence baseline, in addition to good behaviour.

His favourite things are appreciation, praise and rewarding the project team. Creating an innovative and insightful project culture is also essential to him. Stenfors thrives on the cycle of continuous improvement and says he spends his evenings not only counting sheep but also Deming circles.

Posiva Oy, located in Eurajoki, is a joint venture between Teollisuuden Voima Oyj and Fortum Power and Heat Oy. Posiva’s subsidiary Posiva Solutions sells expertise in the field of final disposal. The Posiva Group describes itself as the world leader in final disposal. Its activities are aimed at the safe, timely and cost-effective disposal of spent nuclear fuel.

Read the full story in Projektimaailma magazine.

Photos by TVO