Since 2014, Telinekataja has been a contract partner for the maintenance of the Stora Enso Oulu Mill. – Good foresight and accurate scheduling play a key role in everyday life, during shutdowns and in investments. In addition to trust, we also need resources, says maintenance manager Tuomo Salmela.
The mill in Oulu is part of Stora Enso’s Packaging Materials division and produces paperboard, bag paper and unbleached softwood pulp from virgin fibre. The Nuottasaari mill integrate includes timber reception, a pulp mill, a Kraftliner line and port operations. Currently, 400 people work in the mill area, but the new billion-euro investment will create 300 new jobs, expand the product range and renew operations at the mill. In addition, it is estimated that 1,500 people will be employed indirectly in wood transport, logistics and maintenance when the new production line starts operating in 2025.
The Oulu mill aims to become a world-class production facility in terms of safety, efficiency and responsibility, and converted its first decommissioned paper machine into a production line for consumer paperboard already in 2019–2021. The ongoing investment using bio-based energy is about three times larger. In practice, a completely new paperboard machine will be built on the site of the old paper machine. In addition, there will be a new power boiler, a wood processing unit and new knives for the sheeting plant.
Juha Mäkimattila, director of the Oulu mill, has said that the motivated personnel at the mill have already successfully implemented one large project. Telinekataja’s employees were also involved in the first phase of the mill project.
– At the height of the project, there were 130 persons working at the mill. For several months, 60–80 of Telinekataja’s professionals worked on the project, even though it was carried out during the Covid-19 pandemic. We know from experience that this kind of investment requires resources from our partners, says Miika Hirsimäki, Project Manager at Telinekataja.
At Stora Enso Oulu Mill, the investments are almost like construction sites inside a bigger construction site. The staff at Telinekataja are familiar with Nuottasaari’s operations since before the investments. The maintenance partnership has continued since 2014.
– Local knowledge of the production plant is an absolute strength of Telinekataja. They know the place and the people. The are also familiar with the permit practices, lists Tuomo Salmela.
According to Salmela, safety is the number one thing when choosing a scaffolding supplier. And in the same context, he mentions trust: to keep one’s promises. Salmela also appreciates the professionalism and flexibility of the people of Telinekataja. In addition to the planned measures, Telinekataja has also been able to respond to surprising situations.
– We have clear common ground rules, and interact openly. We speak frankly about both good and bad things. Together. we think about how we can do things better, safer and more efficiently.
The Nuottasaari mill integrate now includes timber reception, a pulp mill, a Kraftliner line and port operations. The new production line, which will start operating in 2025, will create 300 new jobs, expand the product range and renew operations at the mill. 11 new buildings and a new wood storage area will be built in the mill area.
According to Salmela, cooperation with Telinekataja is a continuous development to seek cost- efficiency to support production and investments. Development measures are recorded in minutes and progress is monitored at monthly meetings. Through this work, new approaches have been introduced.
– Jouni Laitila, the foreman of Telinekataja, is now involved in planning shutdowns and major maintenance work right from the first shutdown meeting, says Salmela.
According to Tuomo Salmela, the Stora Enso organisation only gives positive feedback to Telinekataja. – They are all smart, businesslike and nice people, from the regional manager to the foremen. Laitila deserves a special mention and praise. He’s the epitome of a customer service- minded man. I would recommend the consultant who “trained” Jouni to anyone, says Salmela happily. – When a production or maintenance engineer calls, Laitila reacts immediately and everything gets done. No matter what time it is.
At Stora Enso Oulu Mill, the investments are almost like construction sites inside a bigger construction site. The staff at Telinekataja are familiar with Nuottasaari’s operations since before the investments. The maintenance partnership has continued since 2014.
The strawberry box is an example of a product package manufactured at the Stora Enso Oulu Mill. One medium-sized thinned out pine makes about 7,000 strawberry boxes. The amount replaces 65 kilograms of the plastic of traditional plastic boxes.
In phase one of the investment programme (2019–2021), the Stora Enso Oulu Mill converted paper machine 7 into a machine producing quality virgin fibre-based corrugated packaging, Kraftliner.
Autumn maintenance of Stora Enso’s Nuottasaari mill was planned in March 2023. – In the big picture, the focus is on the investment project. Planning is progressing and accelerating, resources must be secured. In the first phase of the project, standard production was halted for the duration of the investment. Now the project is mainly carried out alongside the operating mill, says Salmela.
– Maintenance and scaffolding play a major role in the boiler facility at the pulp mill. If the equipment is not in order, we cannot produce pulp nor export paperboard to the world, Salmela sums up.
Salmela gives an example of the annual maintenance of the recovery boiler. – The strict planning that starts a year earlier transforms into a minute-by-minute schedule. The scaffolding inside and outside the boiler must be completed on schedule without delays. Otherwise, inspectors will not be able to start on time, and the work of hundreds of other professionals will be delayed.
– When the hatches of the recovery boiler open and conditions are safe, the people from Telinekataja are the first to get inside. In a nine-day shutdown, this means that our team of about 80 professionals has one day from the beginning of the shutdown and a 16-hour “finish line” in the end, says Miika Hirsimäki from Telinekataja.
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