1. 28 Vattenfall Magazine
People
SandraGrauersNilsson/AssetOptimisationNordic
A different time
“As basis for planning and opti-
misation, AON analyses the power
market in different time horizons,
from real time and onwards. In our
department, Market Analysis and
Future Power System, the timeframe
starts beyond the trade horizon,
which means five years ahead in
time, and ends 40 years into the
future. The challenge in long-term
market analysis is to understand
how the power system will develop
over time. To create a high-quality
price forecast, we have to consider
a huge number of different aspects.
Our Nordic long-term price forecast
provides important input into strate-
gic decisions, investment calcula-
tions and portfolio evaluations. As
the Nordic power system is physi-
cally connected to continental Eu-
rope, we cooperate closely with the
teams within BU Asset Optimisation
Continental and BU Operations that
perform the corresponding analysis
for the continent.”
Name: Sandra Grauers Nilsson
Age: 39 Unit: Asset Optimisation
Nordic Department: Market
Analysis and Future Power System
Employed since: 2008
Position: Director
Location: Råcksta, Sweden
Photo:PeterCederling
for example, based on market prices and
availability, whether it is better to power
up Vattenfall’s power plants or to procure
the required capacity from the exter-
nal market. While Asset Optimisation
Continental mainly looks after the fossil
fuel power stations in continental Europe,
colleagues in Stockholm commercially
operate hydro, nuclear, thermal and wind
power plants in the Nordic region from
the control room in Råcksta. Managing
water flows requires especially deft skill
and knowledge about the characteristics
of the hydro plants, interdependencies
between these plants and the behaviour
of competitors operating neighbouring
plants on the same river.
“For traders a deal is, in principle, noth-
ing more than a mouse click,” says Klause.
However, that simple “click” generates a
flurry of activity which follows an exactly
defined process. In Back Office, for exam-
ple, the staff handles the entire transac-
tion process: Business transactions have
to be documented, confirmed with the
trading partner and finally invoiced. All
data and prices are then collated in the
central trading system, Endur, which, with
an average of 1,600 transactions per day,
forms the backbone of the organisation.
Meanwhile there are separate depart-
ments for legal matters, compliance and
credit risk management. (Contracts are
a vital part of the business.) Last but not
least, the large IT department ensures the
smooth operation of the special systems
and tools used in the complex electronic
trading environment.
Name: Dr. Behzet Cengiz Age: 32
Unit: Asset Optimisation Con-
tinental Department: Portfolio
Structuring Position: Portfolio
Risk Analyst Location: Hamburg,
Germany
“I’m currently working on the primary
hedging strategy for the whole Vatten-
fall Group. This involves determining
the volume of futures trading that
will be transferred to the market or
drawn from the market during the
coming months and years. Basically,
it’s about finding the best possible
risk management strategy to create
financial scope for the company.”
Name: Martina Kersten Poláková
Age: 33 Staff Function: Control-
ling Department: Compliance
& Quality Position: Senior
Compliance Advisor Location:
Amsterdam, the Netherlands
“My job consists mainly of providing
compliance advice to the AOT man-
agement and ensuring that appropri-
ate regulatory policies and procedures
are in place, understood and used
by AOT BUs. My aim is to embed a
strong compliance culture and ethical
behaviour within the business division.
As I support our BUs in all countries
where we perform business, my
work has neither geographical nor
cultural borders.”
BD Asset Optimisation & Trading