Eltel builds its success on trust and the results of its work

Eltel Networks is partaking in the construction of the Niinimäki wind farm, which is located in the municipality of Pieksämäki and will be the largest wind farm in Eastern Finland. The orchestration of such a complex, large-scale project requires the harmonic interplay between the different companies involved. The way in which companies face and overcome any challenges along the way sets the benchmark for successful cooperation.

The Niinimäki wind farm will cover the annual electricity consumption of some 80,000 households. Construction began in 2022, and the project is set to be completed in 2024.

As the project developer, OX2 works together with Eltel, infrastructure service company Destia, and power transformer provider Tamini Trasformatori to see the project through. Upon its completion, OX2 will continue to provide technical and commercial management services on the wind farm.

Eltel is contracted to build both a 110 kV overhead line and the substation through which the wind farm will be connected to the power grid. Pasi Tammivaara, Head of Construction for OX2 in Finland, commends the partnership with Eltel. He lauds Eltel for its professionalism, which is evident in all communication between the companies and in Eltel’s actual performance on-site. When deciding whom to partner with for this particular project, it helped that OX2 already knew what a good choice Eltel would be. In an endeavor involving various potential risks, working with reliable partners known for successfully identifying and navigating such risks is always the best bet.

– We have some options in this market in Finland, but Eltel was chosen because of their experience and their references. We knew them and what they could do. Eltel has always shown professionalism in many ways, technically but also commercially. They are able to assess the risks and handle them, and that’s why we trust them.

Learning and moving forward

In an intricate project with plenty of moving parts, things don’t always go exactly according to plan. Eltel is highly invested in mapping out all the details and accounting for any eventualities. Still, some unexpected variable may arise to put a spoke in the wheel and impede progress. Self-reflection is crucial for a company to emerge from these occurrences fully equipped to work around them in the future. Eltel recognizes the importance of transparency in such cases and turns them into opportunities for learning and pushing the company toward greater excellence.

That’s precisely what was done when encountering such a variable in a previous project. There was a health and safety-related incident, so Eltel conducted a thorough root cause analysis and successfully repaired the problem. The company gained an expanded understanding of the conditions around the incident and how to avoid such an event in the future. From OX2’s perspective, Tammivaara greatly appreciates the way Eltel brought its transparency and reaffirmed expertise to the Niinimäki project.

– The incident happened in another project, but they brought that health and safety improvement to our project too. This is also something we are looking for. When Eltel works like this, we are happy.

Consummate professionals

At the end of the day, business is done by and between people, so the importance of interpersonal relations cannot be overstated. One of the main reasons for OX2’s success with Eltel is the way these relations are conducted. To Tammivaara, the people of Eltel are always working with the utmost regard for professionalism.

– The people themselves are actual professionals at what they do. They know their job, they know the legislation, the rules and the requirements, and their work is very nice both on the technical side of things and in many other ways.

This interpersonal approach extends to how Eltel identifies any possible mistake and openly owns up to it. For example, when a minor detail was off during the project, Eltel was quick to notice it and bring it to OX2’s attention. In Tammivaara’s view, this attitude helps establish and build trust, and it is highly desirable in a business partner.

– They made a small deviation that we didn’t know about. However, they freely admitted it to us. This is something we liked, when someone puts their hand up and says ‘my bad’. It wasn’t a big one, but these mistakes are admitted. That is what we value. We are able to sleep better because we know that, okay, they know what they’re doing.

After all, that trust is what the continued collaboration between OX2 and Eltel ultimately comes down to. It is the wind beneath the companies’ wings in the Niinimäki project, enabling the partnership to soar all the way to the project’s eventual completion.

– I have recommended Eltel to other companies in Finland and outside the Finnish borders too. I always give the recommendation that this is the one you can trust.