Role: Site engineer
Company: Coolkeeragh ESB power station
Track Record:
TRACK RECORD
“I am currently working as a site engineer at Coolkeeragh ESB power station as part of a 13-month placement within my Masters degree in electrical and electronic engineering at Queen’s Uni-versity, Belfast. I was awarded a schol-arship with Electric Ireland, part of the ESB Group, in my first year at universi-ty (2010). This provides me with a fan-tastic opportunity of having a series of work placements throughout my studies and an annual bursary, as well as mentoring and support. Having previously worked in the ESBI (ESB International) offices in Dublin as part of both the substations and power system studies teams, I have been relocated to Coolkeeragh ESB power station in Derry,” said Paula.
7.00am
I usually rise early to make sure I have time to eat a good breakfast before starting work at 8am.
In such an immediate working envi-ronment you can never be sure what time lunch will be!
8.30am
Daily management meeting — each morning we have a management meeting, in which a number of things are discussed including any health and safety or environmental concerns, any major works happening in the plant that day and the outcome from any conferences or meetings.
This is a good opportunity for me to gain an appreciation of the wider scope of works within the plant, as well as outside influences that affect day-to-day operation.
Coolkeeragh ESB is one of three conventional generation plants in Northern Ireland, operating in the SEM (Single Electricity Market) of NI and the ROI.
I find it to be a dynamic, immediate and hugely interesting working environment, with roles varying greatly depending on whether or not the plant is online, as dictated by demand on the all-island system.
Perhaps surprisingly, the busiest times in work are often when the plant is not running, as this is when we take the opportunity to carry out maintenance work that is not possible during normal operation.
Plans are subject to change at the last minute depending on market conditions, which can mean long and unpredictable hours at times.
However, it is during these periods that the most beneficial and interesting learning experiences often occur and great job satisfaction is guaranteed.
9.15am
Fire damper research — we are continually striving to improve our systems and working environment within the plant, and today I investigated the possibility of installing a new fire damper system.
While the current system functions adequately, it is difficult to work with and can cause delays during a time critical period for the operators of the plant.
Therefore, I have been re-engineering the system to provide the same functionality in a more practical manner. Researching the different products available can be time-consuming but it is important to ensure that each element of the system is correctly specified, especially as it is the fire system.
11am
School tour — Coolkeeragh ESB often provides tours of the plant for local schools and groups.
The age and knowledge of these groups varies greatly, so when giving the tour it is important to pitch the information at a level that will be valuable to the individuals concerned.
A group came today from Oakgrove Integrated Secondary School. Following the tour we gave the students a presentation on the theory behind combined cycle generation and assigned them projects relating to what they have seen on the tour today.
I will go to the school in a few days time to talk to the students and award a prize for the best project. I enjoy the opportunity to work with schools, and hope that I can encourage more young people, especially girls, to consider a career in engineering!
1pm
Time for lunch and a catch up with my colleagues. The craic is always good in the workshop, and you can al-ways be guaranteed a good cup of tea and a few dunked biscuits!
This job has been a steep learning curve that I have ultimately found to be highly rewarding.
I have had the opportunity to im-merse myself in a wide range of areas of the power generation business from the commercial side to operations, long-term project work, as well as out age planning and execution.
There is a good balance of office based and practical work in the role, and I am gaining invaluable experience that is helping me to rapidly develop my technical and practical knowledge as I begin my career.
An exceptionally male-dominated environment, even within the engineering industry, I am the only female engineer permanently on site. I have never found this disadvantaged me in any way, with colleagues typically going out of their way to make me feel welcome and part of the team.
1.30pm
Immediately after lunch it was time to review the minutes from yesterday’s generators meeting.
At these meetings representatives from the three conventional generating plants in NI, as well as SONI (the sys-tem operator) and NIE, discuss issues affecting the market and in turn the way generators operate. Parties may raise any concerns and issues they have and can come together to resolve problems collectively.
I find it fascinating to observe the often unexpected range of outside influences that affect the operation of the power plant and so am always keen to attend these meetings.
2.30pm
I then go to an outage planning meeting. When the plant comes offline for an outage, there is a substantial loss of income from lack of generation and availability in the market.
The time for which the plant is un-available is also tightly controlled by SONI, and so the outage is meticulously planned in advance.
Workshops are held where we try to foresee any potential issues and come up with solutions in advance. It is important to always be thinking two steps ahead when undertaking such a large and time critical body of work.
The number of people on site also in-creases drastically during an outage, from about 30 to 250, meaning special attention must also be given to increased health and safety and environmental strategies.
3.30pm
I continue work on a training presentation for a lightning protection system I have designed.
As a relatively specialised area, a detailed study is required prior to the design, the results of which I presented to my colleagues.
I also summarised the results of a risk assessment completed to the IEC 62305 standard, which quantifies various risks to the plant from lightning, thus determining the level of lightning protection required.
4.30pm
Working hours can greatly vary but I usually finish up around 4.30pm, one of the benefits of starting work at 8am!
7pm
I have always found exercise a good way to unwind after a busy day and can usually be found at the gym in the evening time.
I take a mixture of circuits, body pump and Zumba classes, although I enjoy getting out for a walk around the famous Derry bridges if the weather al-lows it!
I always look forward to having a chat with my family and boyfriend back home in Belfast before calling it a night.