Control Room Operator

About the Company:

GPGA is the Australian majority-owned subsidiary of Global Power Generation (GPG) which is the international power generation arm of the Spanish Naturgy Energy Group.

GPGA was created to bring to life a portfolio of projects ensuring sustainable sources of energy, developing rural communities, spreading state of the art renewable technologies, and helping to prevent weather changes resulting by greenhouse gas emissions.

About the Role:

We are seeking a talented and highly motivated Control Room Operator to join our team. The ideal candidate will possess proven control room experience and demonstrate strong skills in AEMO, NER, and safety requirements. A solid understanding of the Australian energy markets and technical proficiency with SCADA systems are essential for success in this role.

If you are passionate about energy management and excel in a dynamic and fast-paced environment, we encourage you to apply and become a key part of our innovative team.

MAIN DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

Mission and priority objectives

• Remotely monitor GPG assets from the Control Center in Canberra (APREC (Asian Pacific Renewable Energy Center)), in accordance with the requirements of AEMO (the Australian Energy Market Operator), National Electricity Rules (NER), safety requirements, performance maximization, all following procedures and equipment manuals.
• Assets and processes monitoring to ensure that operation is in accordance with all relevant operational requirements as well as monitor performance and condition of equipment recognizing any deviation from normal conditions.
• Real-time monitoring of equipment and substations, facing incidents, trips, warnings,… promptly reacting to try to reduce impact in operation.
• Actively follow up execution of required actions to solve warnings, un-availabilities, under-performance or other deviations with Remote O&M Control Rooms and or Site Managers/ Supervisors.
• Actively monitoring of asset compliance with energy targets, Generator Performance Standards and other parameters.
• Execution of remote maneuvers due to instructions imposed by the Market Operator (AEMO).
• Analysis of data evolution reflected in the scada systems and acting on the controls of the power plant in accordance with the established regulations and operating plans.
• Direct communication with Regional Manager and or Site Managers for the coordination of programmed and non-programmed works, as well as notification of serious incidents in the grid or asset´s equipment that require local action.
• Real time interlocution with the Market Operator (AEMO) to attend any requirement.
• Real time interlocution with Transmission network service providers according to Operating Protocols in place for each of the assets.
• Operational incident recording and reporting.
• Actuate according to Emergency Response Plans in place for each of the assets.
• Managing supplier relationships ensuring contractual terms are met.
• Execute daily reporting activities.
• Performance analysis activities assigned to Control Room Operators
• Keep up to date appropriate records in Control Room Logbook.
• Collaborate in procedure development related to Control Room activities.

Trading activities:

• Have basic exposure to Australian Energy Markets.
• Monitor Energy markets consistently throughout the shift.
• Actively analyze Energy markets to optimize position.
• Complete short, medium and real-time availability bidding.
• Survey auto-bidders activity, executing manual corrections when needed according to procedures.
• Actively bid assets in Energy Markets when required.
• Execute short-term trading strategies.
• Accessing CCTV systems to enhance site security and management
• Monitoring weather forecast systems and issuing alerts, handling emergency calls from asset personnel or other stakeholders
• Liaising with IT support to manage the availability of essential software and hardware systems used by the Operations Control Centre team
• Liaising with Maintenance Contractors to maximise availability as directed by the Site Manager
• Participation in 24/7/365 shift rotation and shift handover such other tasks, projects and duties as required
• The position may require you to be available outside of your ordinary working hours to cover alternative control room shifts in the event of a foreseen or unforeseen absence of a Control Room Operator, in line with GPGA's availability allowance provisions
• Collaborate with other operators and traders to implement market-related initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with corporate and industry requirements.

As part of the 24/7 Control Centre team, you will contribute to:

• Writing and maintaining up to date departmental procedures and guides in line with Quality Management Policy, in cooperation with Control Room Manager, Energy Market Manager, and Site Managers.
• All NEM bidding and operational compliance of the Cunderdin facility and other assets.
• Maintaining operational relationships with O&M Contractors, AEMO, TNSPs and Government representatives, off takers and PPA parties, as required.
• Implementing GPGA trading and optimisation strategies given prevailing and expected market outcomes.
• Coordination of maintenance and outages in liaison with and under the direction of the Control Room Manager, Site Manager and Energy Market Manager, including notifications to AEMO.
• Analysis of operational data from all assets, and the provision of first line reports to the revenue management and operational teams both within Australia and globally.
• Continuous improvement of Control Centre systems, functions and procedures to deliver increased performance based on Key Performance Indicators of the department.

Functions and tasks

Real-time operation

• Perform the remote operation and real-time supervision of wind turbines and substations, facing incidents, trips, warnings, programmed and non-programmed works, of the different assets operated by GPG in Australia from the APREC (Asian Pacific Renewable Energy Center).
• Execution of remote maneuvers due to instructions imposed by the Market Operator (AEMO).
• Monitoring plants and processes to ensure operations are in accordance with all relevant operational requirements.
• Analyzing the evolution of the data reflected in the tele-control systems and acting on the controls of the power plant in accordance with the established regulations and operating plans.
• Monitoring the performance and condition of equipment and recognizing any deviation from normal conditions.

Internal Communication

Direct communication with Regional Manager and or Site Managers for the coordination of programmed and non-programmed works, as well as notification of serious incidents in the grid or asset´s equipment that require local action.

Communication with Energy Markets management in relation to market situations.

External Communication

Actively follow up execution of required actions to solve warnings, un-availabilities, under-performance or other deviations with Remote O&M Control Rooms and or Site Managers/ Supervisors.

Real time interlocution with the Market Operator (AEMO) to attend any requirement.

Real time interlocution with Transmission network service providers according to Operating Protocols in place for each of the assets.

Backoffice

• Daily reporting activities and other reporting collaborations
• Performance Analysis
• Elaboration of the dashboards used for the revision of the indicators (KPIs).
• Maintenance of records and registers associated with the assets.

Health and Safety Commitment

Ensure that all the general health and safety criteria and regulations defined by the Group are met in your working environment and, in particular, within the scope of your specific functions and competences, by carrying out any actions assigned or deemed necessary to implement the culture of anticipation to the risk and the prevention of accidents

The Group's Corporate Responsibility Policy

Apply the commitments emanating from the Group's values to the management of your Unit, through the Corporate Responsibility Policies: Customer Orientation, Commitment to Results, the Environment, Concern for People, Health and Safety, Social Responsibility and Integrity, to ensure that the people that make up the Group are aligned with the corporate culture.

Academic training

Vocational Educational Training (VET) or an Associate Degree. Preferably Electrical, Renewable or IT.

Specific training

Training related to wind turbines, batteries and or solar farms will be positively regarded.

Training in control systems will be positively regarded.

Training in data management will be positively regarded.

Professional experience (area of activity, time in the post, functions)

2 years of experience in control and monitoring positions.

Specific knowledge

Basic knowledge of practices, functions and processes that operation of a generation plant entails (preferable renewable).

Basic knowledge of the operation of the Australian energy market.

Data analysis capacity

Excel high level

Languages

Great communication skills

Other requirements

Competencies:

• Professional integrity

• Liaison Capacity

• Active listening

• Self-knowledge

• Efficient decision making

• Flexibility