A long-term partnership with Savon Voima

VEO received its first order in 1989 soon after the company was founded. The customer was Savon Voima Oy. The assignment was the upgrade of the control system at the hydropower plant in  Karjalankoski.
“We knew Martti Ehrnrooth from earlier remote operation projects. We put our trust in that the founders of this new business, Vaasa Engineering, knew what they were doing. We also wished to encourage domestic know-how and promote competition in the business. We were not disappointed,” maintenance manager at Savon Voima Juha Räsänen ensures.

The partnership between VEO and Savon Voima has continued for 25 years. Over these years, many projects big and small have been completed.

“Savon Voima has 11 hydropower plants, which require regular maintenance and upgrades. When our partnership with VEO began, their services included project planning and control cabinets. By the beginning of the 90s, VEO launched their own switchgear,” Räsänen recalls.
When upgrading the power plant in Juankoski in 1995, VEO also introduced their own voltage regulator. The Juankoski project was memorable in many ways. The control panels ordered by Savon Voima were ready for installation, when there was a fi re at the Vuolenkoski hydropower plant. VEO enquired whether they might deliver the control panels to Vuolenkoski instead to assist them in their hour of need.

"VEO assured us that our project schedule would not suffer. They kept their promise."

“VEO assured us that our project schedule would not suffer. They kept their promise. The new control panels were delivered to Juankoski according to plan,” Räsänen praises.
The development continued. During 1995–1996 VEO offered Savon Voima even more comprehensive and integrated solutions – turbine generators with automation.

The automation delivery for the Atro power plant in 1998 also included vacuum circuit breakers and generator protection relays. In 2006 a brand new turbine was ordered for the power plant in Sorsakoski, built in 1935. On recommendation from VEO, Savon Voima chose the turbine of Czech Mavel.

“Many groups of visitors have later come to see and admire at this speciality,” Räsänen points out. Around the same time, Savon Voima also implemented mobile controls, by means of which the control centre could be bypassed if needed.

“At first we used Q-Tech equipment, which was later replaced by Nokia Communicators – Finnish technology to our pride and joy. In 2012 the data security was improved when we transferred to Citrix software,” Räsänen recalls.

The partnership between VEO and Savon Voima has included ten significant power plant upgrade projects and numerous service and maintenance contracts.

“In 2015 we are upgrading the local automation at the hydropower plant in Liuna. This will be the tenth large project we complete together. With VEO we have a mutual understanding. Strong technical expertise, flexibility, continuity and economic stability are important to us. VEO meets all of these criteria,” Räsänen concludes.

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Hydropower