Working in a nuclear environment is a unique engineering challenge. Governed by strict guidelines, every weld requires a permit and every person is monitored for radiation safety. At Recion, this high-pressure environment is a natural part of our daily operations.
The industry’s strictest safety standards
At Recion, we specialise in Safety Class 1–3 piping. Operating under the Regulatory Guides on nuclear safety (YVL) set by the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK), every weld and installation is verified by independent inspection bodies under national oversight.
“Work is performed in pairs and every stage requires a separate permit,” explains Mikko Ala-Viikari, Project Manager, Nuclear Industry at Recion. “Welders must pass project-specific welding tests supervised by inspectors, and radiation doses are strictly monitored to ensure safety limits are never exceeded.”
Performning under pressure
In the nuclear sector, time is as critical as safety. Scheduled outages demand both careful planning and operational flexibility – areas where our long-standing experience is crucial.
“Most of our projects are extremely challenging regarding both technical execution and scheduling,” says Mikko. “Surprises occur, such as old drawings with incorrect data, meaning the work cannot be done exactly as planned. Despite this, we must – and do – stay on schedule.”
Remote-controlled orbital welding robots allow us to maintain pace and precision in radioactive zones. By performing welds where manual welding work isn’t feasible, we ensure both personnel safety and steady project progress.
Full in-house services
In large-scale nuclear projects, coordination is key. At Recion, we provide full in-house services, from detail design and material procurement to prefabrication and final installation.
“We have all project-related data documented internally, so we know for sure how the work was performed and the best way to proceed,” says Mikko.
Because we maintain full control over the documentation from day one, customers can rely on a clear and accessible history for their systems.
Reactor supplier for SMR pilot
Our technical expertise gained from decades of reactor maintenance is now being applied to the next generation of nuclear power. Recion has been selected as the supplier and technology partner for Steady Energy’s LDR-e small modular reactor (SMR) pilot, where we will deliver the complete reactor module – one of the plant’s most critical components.
Beyond the pilot phase, Recion will also contribute to the reactor design for future commercial projects, positioning the company at the core of industrial nuclear heat development in Europe.
