SA - Grid And Electrical Engineer

Summary of Role:

The Grid & Electrical Engineer will be based in the Cape Town office and will be a member of the Engineering team. The role will entail working across the Project Development Life Cycle (all stages of the GDS) including providing technical support to the Operations and Maintenance teams from a grid perspective. The role will include ongoing and regular liaison with a large internal stakeholder base and frequent engagement with external stakeholders. The role will entail having to assume a lead Project Engineering role across a project portfolio that spans from Development through to Construction.

Mainstream Renewable Power (Mainstream) is a leading independent developer of utility-scale renewable power plants.  The company is focused on delivering into operations, a high-quality portfolio of onshore and offshore wind, solar PV, and hybrid assets across high-growth markets in LATAM, Africa, Europe, and APAC.

What you will do:

GRID

• Ensure Grid Compliance by engaging with OEM’s to determine specifications of plant.

• Approve technical content of any changes made by OEM’s and prepare technical specifications of new additions.

• Prepare all documentation for RETEC submission, and liaise with RETEC and the SBO with respect to statutory evaluations.

• Compile, submit, present and manage all aspects relating to exemption requests.

• Evaluate new products for application and integration based on parameters such as functionality, integrity and performance.

• Perform regular tests and assessments to ensure that the equipment operates as per design and that the facility remains compliant to any changes in the Grid Codes.

• Analyse the installed equipment to ensure it stays aligned with modern technologies and implement changes where necessary.

• Support the Construction Team on Utility interactions and grid connection and energisation.

• Audit all Handover documentation.

• Assist the department with NERSA audits.

• Perform Quality of Supply and Grid Code Compliance audits.

• Perform all investigative functions relevant to investigating, providing mitigants, determining the causes of non-compliance and compiling reports and training material where required.

• Monitor the development of technical solutions to solve problems.

• Monitor system performance as per the required standards and make recommendations and implement changes to enhance performance monitoring.

• Ensure that regular monitoring and reporting are carried out in line with the applicable Agreements and Grid Codes.

• Perform Facility Power Curve updates.

• Contribute to the compilation of reports and submit monthly Generation Reports to NERSA.

• On development projects, conduct Grid assessments and capacity checks, Grid connection solutions (assess grid connection points), and Grid works (provision of concept designs, layouts and locations).

• Provide Grid related inputs and scope of work to projects and facilitate external grid studies.

• Manage Cost Estimate Letter applications and liaising with Eskom.

• Manage Budgets Quotes applications and preliminary engineering studies

• Support the Principal Grid Engineer in the review and summarising of national Grid and Transmission Codes (GCCA & TDP) in various new markets and apply learnings to designs and technical discussions.

ELECTRICAL

• Provide conceptual and detailed preliminary electrical & grid designs (e.g., substation layouts, overhead lines, MV collector circuit layouts, single line diagrams, etc.) for electrical and grid Engineering components of Renewable Energy (RE) power plants for Development and Pre-Construction phases.

• Assist Engineering and Procurement teams with review of technical electrical & grid design packages in RFQ processes during project Pre-Construction phase.

• Assume a Project Engineering lead role on projects in Development through to final handover.

• Engineering lead with conceptual and prelim detailed designs for new projects; and liaise with Development teams on technical topics related to project electrical & grid design aspects.

• Provide ongoing review of Mainstream’s Employer’s Requirements (ERs) and participate in regular ERs reviews with various teams. Manage the deployment of ERs templates for all new projects, including the revision thereof with regional teams.

• Draft new ERs technical content for new technologies (e.g., floating solar PV, fixed and floating offshore wind, etc.) and new markets, including all relevant personal research and liaising with global consultants for new content creation and existing content revision.

• Liaise with regional Engineering team members for the capturing of lessons learnt and the subsequent deployment of new content in the ERs and study/survey scopes of work.

• Assist Engineering and Procurement teams in the liaison with Construction contractors and other external parties in technical ERs content discussions and negotiations.

• Apply aspects of the ERs to all designs and enforce the ERs in review of site documentation and site inspections.

• Participate in the review and the creation of new- and updating of existing- Engineering team operational procedures and standards, including all team ISO 9001 documentation, design guidelines, Excel models, etc.

• Attend ongoing local and international electrical & grid training seminars, conferences, workshops, etc. for both technical and company policy/standards training. Share knowledge gained from these events with technical teams across the business.

• Attend and undertake Continuous Personal Development (CPD) training, reading and tasks for ongoing professional development as part of your membership with ECSA and according to Mainstream employee training guidelines.

• Participate in the procurement of electrical & grid Engineering standards (ISO, SANS, IEC, etc.) and the formal storage thereof within the GDS area. Communicate the location and relevance of the respective Engineering standards with regional Engineering teams.

• Participate in the review of electrical & grid Engineering consultant services (MV cable studies and designs, substation layouts, overhead line specifications, grid studies, energy losses reports, etc.) in new markets; and feed relevant findings back into Engineering and Development designs, reports, Due Diligence (DD) papers, etc.

• Review project information and provide technical electrical & grid Engineering content as part of the DD and investment approval processes on project acquisition opportunities in new markets with fellow Engineering team members.

• Participate in the assessment of constructability of green-field and acquisition opportunity projects in new markets.

• Engage with external consultants, contractors, independent engineers, lenders engineers, utility and grid companies, etc. as required to advance the development projects

• Produce technical Engineering reports and presentations to the Head of Engineering and the various Steerco’s if, and where required.

• Ensure electrical & grid Engineering activities are carried out to the highest quality standards, and in accordance with the relevant health and safety regulations.

• Participate in company-wide digitalisation and innovation programmes. Design and implement electrical & grid related works and processes in line with the Mainstream digitalisation strategy.

• What we require:

• The candidate must have a Degree in Electrical Engineering.

• The candidate must have five (5) years’ collective work experience in project engineering, network design, network operations and/or development of renewable energy projects (wind and/or solar PV).

• The candidate must have valid registration with ECSA.

• Experience in medium & high voltage generating plant design and equipment specifications.

• National Transmission, Distribution and Renewable Grid Code(s) compliance experience in one or more markets.

• Ability to program and operate DigSilent PowerFactory software and relevant power system software

• Experience in the preparation of technical specifications and other technical documents.

• Excellent verbal and written English communication skills.

• Strong report writing skills.

• Strong IT skills.

• Ability to work under pressure, adapt to quickly changing work objectives, and to meet deadlines.

• Strong initiative and the ability to proactively identify required tasks.

• An excellent attention to detail.

• An organised approach to working, task prioritisation, and time management.

• An unencumbered passport without travel restrictions (excluding normal Visa requirements) and valid driver’s licence for infrequent national and international travel.

• The person must be readily available for calls while travelling and/or in the office and be able to respond to emails and messages quickly during work hours.

Preference will be given to Candidates that have the following Experience:

• Understanding of wind turbine/solar PV technologies

• Knowledge of wind farm/solar farm operations.

• Knowledge of the national HSE and Electrical Standards of South Africa.

• Knowledge of Utility Connections and protection.

• Knowledge of other applicable Grid Codes.

• Knowledge of engineering software (AutoCAD, GIS, PSCAD dynamic simulation software).

• Knowledge of applicable Power Quality standards and requirements

What we offer:

We offer you the opportunity to work in a dynamic and entrepreneurial organisation, to be part of a diverse workplace with regards to gender, age and cultural background in the most exciting industry in the world today. You will receive a very competitive total benefits package including an excellent base salary, bonus scheme and share options. 

Career development 

• Excellent training (an average 54 hours a year)
• Career progression
• Self-paced online learning portal for micro courses across a range of functional and inter personal skills

Shared financial success  

• A competitive, industry benchmarked and cost-of-living linked salary, reviewed annually
• Performance bonus
• Share options
• Salary contribution to your pension fund and private medical cover

Work/life balance 

• WFH in a hybrid working arrangement
• Generous annual leave, plus a community or charity work day each year
• Paid maternity, parental, adoptive and bereavement leave
• Parental transitional coaching

True diversity & inclusion 

• Equal opportunity targets
• GWEC Women in Wind and Mainstream Women in Renewables programmes
• You can be you, whatever your gender, colour or sexual orientation

Care for health & wellbeing  

• Life cover
• Free Employee Assistance Program for you and your family