Jobs
Jobs
Control Room Operator
Posted 28 days agoMonitor and control of a minimum size (1075MW) offshore wind farm. Coordinate with personnel working offshore during operational and maintenance activities. Safe and controlled release of Wind Turbine plant for maintenance; Responding remotely to turbine alarms; Tracking personnel attendance at site and; Acting as central contact for co-ordination in Emergency Response and Incident Reporting.
Key Accountabilities
Monitoring and Controlling of Wind Farm
- Ensures availability of wind farm for operational and maintenance activities. Liaison with offshore personnel during operational, maintenance and testing activities operating plant and equipment as required. Ensures the operation of the Wind Farm at all times in accordance with laid down policies, procedures, and OEM recommendations to ensure protection of the owner’s investment. Control of the High Voltage system onshore and offshore in accordance with Company Safety Rules. Operating plant via SCADA and responding to any abnormal deviations in a timely and diligent manner. Co-ordinate transfer of personnel and cargo using transport modes such as service offshore vessel (SOV), Daughter Craft and Crew Transfer Vessels. Co-ordinate and monitor other vessel movements within the offshore wind farm site
- Ensures that the Wind Farm operates at all times within any Environmental, Health and Safety consent or obligation, the Control Room Operator is also responsible for co-ordinating the safe HV switching of the wind farm ensuring safe hand over of plant ready for work at all times. The Control Room Operator will also monitor the security of the wind farm via CCTV and an access control / asset tracking system. The role will entail working shifts.
Setting People to Work
- The role will ensure the maximum availability of the wind farm through effective liaising of staff and contractor resources during operational and maintenance activities of the wind farm. Monitor the wind farm to ensure operation within all dispatch parameters, and in accordance with the provisions of OEM guidelines. Advise the Engineering Department of any dysfunctional equipment or operating parameters at variance with normal levels.
- Preparation of all associated plant and systems to make safe for commencement of maintenance activities. Utilise the ‘Maximo’ Maintenance Management System for recording planned maintenance activities or defects including control of spare parts. Co-ordination and completion of routine and maintenance activities at Marine Base to extent of capabilities. Control of goods receipt and issue from stores.
Safety Rules Duties
- Personally accountable for performing (restricted) duties of “Operational Controller” as defined in Wind Turbine Safety Rules to assist in safe release/return to service of Wind Turbine Plant/Apparatus. Achieved by verifying authorisation against an externally controlled database, informing the work part of externally identified risks or restrictions, formal communication and recording of release/return and gatekeeper for Transfer of Control. Remote switching/control of the High Voltage and Low Voltage system within the Wind Farm infrastructure in accordance with our client’s Operational Safety Rules, Wind Turbine Safety Rules, and cross boundary procedures.
Compliance
- Comply with External Customer contractual terms (e.g., National Grid or network operator).
- Ensure commitments to customers (key stakeholders) are met by conducting duties in accordance with our client’s procedures/process and ensuring escalation of barriers and risks out-with direct control (Control Room Manager).
Availability
- Adhere to (and contribute to) 24/7 rotating shift rota to maintain sufficient cover, liaising with Control Room Manager as necessary and notifying risk where necessary.
- Comply with External Customer contractual terms (e.g., National Grid or network operator).
- Ensure commitments to customers (key stakeholders) are met by conducting duties in accordance with our client’s procedures/process and ensuring escalation of barriers and risks out-with direct control.
- Responsible for REMIT notification submissions and compliance in accordance with our client’s process and procedures.
Marine Co-ordination
- Day to day marine co-ordination when required in accordance with the marine control procedure. Coordination of vessels and other transport modes to the wind farm and within the offshore wind farm site. The role includes the monitoring of personnel working offshore.
- Monitor the security of the windfarm via CCTV and an access control / asset tracking system. The windfarm will have an operational exclusion zone around each turbine; the controller will monitor this via CCTV.
Pear
- Responsible for ensuring that all operations, decision making and actions relating to the day-to-day operation has no detrimental effect on People, the Environment, Assets or Reputation (PEAR) of our clients by escalating risk.
- Assist by enacting above for out of hours call outs during emergent situations such as adverse weather conditions.
- Response to unplanned events and incidents in accordance with the company Emergency Response Procedures.
Technical Support
- Investigate technical incidents with control room systems, gathering as much information as possible to notify responsible parties through support requests.
- Notify responsible persons of unwanted trends occurring on wind fleet assets observed through remote fault reset investigations to protocol.
- Providing timely Physical Nominations / Forecasting to Energy Trading Teams as per the agreed procedures.
Plant and Procedures
- Responsible for the ongoing review and refresh of all control room work instructions, procedures and reporting mechanisms, ensuring relevance and accuracy in conjunction with the Control Room Manager; Ensure all documentation and logs are up to date.
Knowledge, Skills, And Experience
Skills (Basic)
- Proficient user of MS Office, particularly Excel and Outlook;
- Excellent verbal communicative skills and good standard of written communication;
- Professional telephone manner;
- Attention to detail and accuracy of reports;
- Effectively organisation and hierarchical prioritisation of workload within shift environment – short term;
- Diagnostic/problem solving capability within pre-determined parameters and ability to resolve system errors in conjunction with support team;
- Multitasking - able to work across multiple systems and processes with varied and limited complexity.
Skills (Operational)
- Experienced in Operational Safety Rules, WTSR, Safe system of work’ and can perform various authorised roles;
- Experienced in control room environment, preferably with electrical focus;
- Working Knowledge of protection systems;
- Knowledge of HV safety rules, ideally with or working towards AP status;
- Some experience of working with vessels and marine control (advantageous but training will be given).
Knowledge (Business)
- Good understanding of the Grid Code for System Operations;
- Good understanding of Energy Market conditions affecting operations and the Balancing Mechanism;
- Good understanding of High Voltage networks and understanding of related field work;
- Good understanding of Transmission & Distribution networks, trading environment and field work;
- Detailed understanding of relevant Safety Rules (OSR/WTSR). Detailed understanding of role accountabilities;
- Detailed understanding of Policies and Procedures, framework directives, and compliance requirements applicable to the role;
- Detailed understanding of Emergency Response and Incident Reporting Procedures;
- Detailed understanding of wind farm infrastructure and associated plant/apparatus;
- Knowledge of control room functions and deliverable requirements / production targets.
Essential Functional / Technical Skills
- Suitable industry experience (outlined below) Preferably in a technical discipline or that with closely related transferrable skills;
- Relevant experience in Control Room/Control Systems environment or that requiring equivalent competence with electrical focus;
- Electrical System operations;
- Experienced in performing duties under Operational/Wind Turbine Safety Rules or enough competence to develop such authorisation in a limited timeframe (3 to 6 months);
- Experiences in use of SCADA, Network Control Systems, Trading Systems and Maintenance Management Systems.
- Understanding of weather forecasting and effects on operational assets and response.
- Knowledge of information technology systems;
- Ability to read and understand Electrical SLDs;
- Ability to carry out remote switching of plant safely and in line with HV safety rules.
Attributes / Competencies
- Enthusiastic and motivated individual with capacity to learn and develop oneself;
- Able to stay calm and apply logical thinking in pressurised situations;
- Adaptive and contributory to change in support of business improvement;
- Contributory to positive and respectful culture and wellbeing with within working environment;
- Ability to work in a team within a shift pattern;
- Ability to communicate technical issues at all levels.
Key Projects / Activities Managed
- Day to day operations of a 1075MW offshore wind farm;
- Compliance with Company SHE rules and project consents.
- Prioritisation of available resources to maximise production from wind farm;
- Best use of resources available to respond to unplanned defects within SHE, time, and weather constraints of working offshore.