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- 08:00Arrive at work
I focus on assessing estimates submitted by construction companies and preparing documents related to the next construction plan.10:00Site patrolConfirmation prior to the start of construction.11:00Construction planning meetingMeet with subcontractors to discuss preparations related to facility renovation work.12:00LunchEnjoy conversation with colleagues in the company cafeteria.13:00Create materialsWork to check construction records against specifications.16:00Team meetingAfter sharing the current situation with team members, answer questions from subordinates.18:00Return home
INTERVIEW
Facilities Management Group
Mechanical Team
Takashi Saito
Planning the implementation of periodic refurbishment of various machinery and equipment installed in the power plant to ensure stable operation and management of construction work. The mission of the Equipment Management Group's Machinery Team is to manage the entire series of processes from the consideration of new equipment introduction, to ordering, installation, acceptance inspections and commissioning. As the limited seven-member team manages all of the facilities installed in the vast power plant, much of the work involves desk work, such as holding meetings to discuss implementation and preparing materials for such meetings, while the actual repair work itself is outsourced to a subcontractor.
The equipment I was previously in charge of was boilers, but now I am mainly looking at power generation turbines that are turned using steam generated by the boilers. This is a large rotating machine that is approximately 15 m long and 4 m wide with a high output of 70,000 kW. Temperature and vibration are constantly monitored during operation, and changes in these figures are used to predict wear and deterioration, and this in turn is connected to the planning of periodic refurbishment plans.
I was given the responsibility of installing new equipment and was able to install a system that achieved stable operation.
Between 2018 and 2020, a project was undertaken to install a gas turbine power generation facility that would have a lower environmental impact. I participated in this project as a mechanical engineer and was entrusted with a major role in construction supervision, from the equipment review stage before construction began, to foundation work, installation, piping, painting, and trial operation. This is the next generation of our company's main power generation equipment, and I felt a great deal of responsibility and pressure in this role. I visited the headquarters and regional factories of equipment and piping manufacturers to check on the progress, and at one point I even traveled to a factory in Korea once a month to check on the status of boiler production.
Because of this deep commitment to the project, it was a truly moving experience to see the turbine turn during trial operation. But that was only a new starting point. Operation continued to be unstable for a while, and I had to perform a lot of troubleshooting. Now it has finally reached a state where it is operating in a stable manner, and it is the mainstay of the South Kashima Power Plant.
I am working on providing a written standard
so that younger employees can operate this on their own.
Just recently, I was promoted to team leader. I have been sharing the equipment-related skills I have cultivated with younger employees by consulting with them and giving advice at meetings, but from now on, as a hands-on manager, one of my official roles will be to train younger employees. A new initiative to address this issue is the development of the tools necessary for stable machine operation, such as equipment standards documentation. The standards documents that we have been using were created a long time ago and need to be updated to match the current specifications. The plan is that, by reading it, the employee will not only understand the details of the equipment, but will also learn the approach to equipment operation. We believe that by improving the technological level of younger employees from the bottom up in this way, the entire team will be able to move forward with new initiatives aimed at power generation equipment with higher efficiency and lower environmental impact.
- PROFILE
- （Takashi Saito）
- I changed jobs at the age of 30 after being a surveyor for a surveying company. Although I had little knowledge of machinery, I was attracted to the company because of its future stability and benefits, and I wanted to join a company where I could learn everything from scratch.
I started running
for the purpose of mountain climbing,
but it soon became a daily pleasure.Running started as a way for me to build basic fitness for mountain climbing, but before long it became a hobby that I truly enjoy. I run 4–5 km every day and 20–30 km on weekends and holidays. My monthly distance run is approximately 300–400 km. Once I started running, it relieved my fatigue and I felt comfortable. Last year, I completed two full marathons and one 100 km ultramarathon. One of these days, I'd like to be able to run a full marathon in under 3 hours.
