Energy News

The global energy transition is well underway and continues to increase in momentum and importance as investors, stakeholders, activists, and governments heighten their emphasis on sustainability and environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG).

At Jacobs, we’re a purpose-led organisation fully committed to tackling climate change. We do this both in how we operate our business as well as partnering with our clients to deliver solutions along the entire energy transition value chain as they deal with the rapid pace of change caused by the energy transition.

In 2020 we launched our Climate Action Plan, becoming carbon neutral for our operations and business travel that same year, with plans to become carbon negative by 2030. To mark this year’s Earth Day on 22 April, we launched our updated Climate Action Plan with ambitious new climate targets – read more here.

To strengthen our focus on driving innovative clean energy solutions with our clients, we’ve appointed several new technical directors within the Power and Energy team. As part of the Jacobs Global Solutions and Technology group, the technical directors are connected through a Community of Practice with other Jacobs subject matter experts around the globe. This enables us to provide world best practice to projects for our local regions and clients. We recently refreshed our technologist career framework, which sets out a clear career pathway for those wishing to pursue a technical career at Jacobs. We’re incredibly pleased that many of our recent technical director appointments include promotions from within Jacobs.

Our technical directors also help to shape and deliver future-focused insights and thought leadership across Jacobs focus areas to industry. Jacobs has published a variety of energy transition thought leadership content across different channels including a webinar series, a video series in collaboration with 2030 Breakthroughs (a United Nations High-Level Climate Champions initiative), and the Sparks Podcast Series, co-presented with the World Climate Foundation in the lead-up to COP26.

Introducing our technical directors who are leading the way through the energy transition

Nicola Wilkins – APAC (Asia Pacific) Technical Director, Solar PV

Nicola has a passion for renewable energy, to which she has dedicated her career of 20 years. She has extensive experience in feasibility studies, concept design, technical specifications and tender evaluations through to construction, operation, performance analysis and due diligence of power plants.

Nicola has broad experience across consulting, power networks, EPC (Engineering Procurement Construction) contractors and start-up companies in small and large-scale solar, stand-alone power systems, and battery energy storage systems. She is a chartered engineer and holds a Master of Science in Renewable Energy from Loughborough University and a Bachelor of Engineering from Monash University. She is also a Fellow of Engineers Australia.

Peter Rasmus – APAC Technical Director, Energy Transition Network Solutions

Peter has been with Jacobs for 13 years and has more than 30 years of experience in the power industry on both national and international projects and has a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering.

Peter has a well-developed background in power system planning and development, generator connections and access standards, network technical limitations, design requirements, and the technical operation of transmission networks. He has led and participated in project teams covering power system analysis, network planning, concept network design, energy market modelling, regulatory assessment, and due diligence for multiple asset transactions. Peter has substantial insight into and passion for the future operation of power systems and the transition to a renewable energy future. He recognises the challenges faced by developers of renewable energy options, and the views of network owners and operators.

Lara Kruk – APAC Technical Director, Substations

Lara has 18 years of experience in Transmission/Utilities, working on projects across Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Iraq, and Libya. Lara works as a principal protection engineer on substation projects and has extensive experience in electrical design as both designer and owner's engineer on multi-disciplinary projects, including brownfield substation extension and equipment replacements; significant transmission network augmentations; and greenfield terminal stations for renewable energy connections such as wind, solar and battery energy storage systems. Lara is passionate about innovative and sustainable solutions and is currently leading the implementation of a client’s first digitised substation using IEC 61850, which will provide cost savings, improved performance and sustainability benefits.

Alex Batten – APAC Technical Director, Geothermal

Alex has 30 years of international chemical and mechanical engineering experience and has been with Jacobs since 1995. From a background of geothermal process and power plant engineering, Alex managed Jacobs’ Indonesia operation, delivering a range of services supporting geothermal projects for 12 years before returning to take a lead role within Jacobs in New Zealand in 2016. He has developed and led several key client relationships in both the power and industrial sectors to grow a multi-disciplinary business providing robust local design and project execution capability servicing local, regional, and international markets.

David Harridge – APAC Technical Director, Bioenergy, Waste to Energy and CHP

David is a chartered chemical process engineer in the UK and Australia and has been with the Jacobs power business for 10 years, starting in the UK before relocating to Brisbane in 2014. He is Jacobs’ Global Technical Leader for the Biomass and Waste to Energy Community of Practice. David has 25 years' experience working within the power, waste, water, and industrial sectors. David has worked in consulting, private and public sector plant operations environments. His primary focus has been power and heat production from waste-derived and biomass sources and includes extensive experience in waste thermal treatment (eg, combustion, gasification, autoclaves etc.), biogas and solid recovered fuel production. David also has a breadth of experience in a range of other thermal renewable/low carbon energy projects, eg, biofuels, alternate fuels used in cement kilns and solar thermal technologies.

Asif Bhangor - APAC Technical Director, Transmission Lines

Asif has over 26 years of experience in power and energy, leading the design and construction of 66 kV to 500 kV transmission lines for renewable (wind and solar) projects, including asset upgrades and network reinforcement for utilities around Australia and New Zealand and global projects in Asia-Pacific. Asif is the current convenor of CIGRE B2 Panel for Transmission Lines with representation from all power utilities, consultants, and contractors in the Australian and New Zealand markets. He is also the convenor for the International Working Group carrying out R&D in risk modelling for transmission lines under extreme weather events. Asif heads this working group comprised of an international panel of experts from various utilities around the world, including the US, Germany, the UK, Austria, and Japan. Asif recently became part of the Electricity Sector Climate Information (ESCI) project to provide guidance and technical support to enhance the wind modelling studies done by the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM). Asif has managed all disciplines in his career, including environmental/stakeholder engagement, land survey, geotechnical investigations, route selection, electrical design and civil/structural design for transmission & distribution.

Rodney Urban – APAC Technical Director, EMT & Earthing

Rodney has a PhD in electronic engineering from the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa and more than 20 years of experience in electromagnetic transients, electromagnetic compatibility, earthing, and lightning protection across many industries. This includes seven years as a researcher and consultant on military, space (satellites and radio telescopes) and power (transmission line) projects in South Africa. He has been involved in a range of power, rail, water, gas, mining, and industrial projects across the APAC region since moving to New Zealand 14 years ago.

Prethaben Moodley - APAC Technical Director, Energy Storage

Prethaben has 20 years' experience in design, installation, commissioning and consultancy across various sectors, including oil & gas, mining, water treatment, dairy, pulp and paper, nuclear, thermal and renewables. In his most recent role for a large international consultancy, Prethaben was the UK and Ireland lead for solar photovoltaics and energy storage and, thereafter, the APAC regional lead focusing on energy storage, solar photovoltaics, wind and hybrid technologies. He’s overseen the design, testing, and commissioning of several large-scale (standalone and integrated) battery energy storage (BESS) projects, thermal power plants, energy from waste plants (EfWs) and was involved in several automation projects as a lead design engineer across Southern Africa, the UK, Europe and Asia.

Andrew Bedford – Technical Director, Energy Transition

Andrew has more than 20 years’ experience in the industry, specialising in the establishment and growth of consulting teams. He is responsible for developing and implementing growth strategies for Jacobs’ advisory and global energy transition business – with a focus on strategic and financial advisory, concepts and master-planning, sustainable resource use as well as efficiency and decarbonisation solutions across a range of sectors in which Jacobs operates. In his previous roles, Andrew worked with a wide variety of private and government clients in over 40 countries to develop innovative and integrated solutions across finance, infrastructure, energy and power.

Emre Orhan – APAC Technical Director, Wind

Emre has a PhD in Aerospace Engineering and has 15 years of professional work experience as a mechanical engineer, team leader, renewable energy expert with specialisation in all project phases of hydro, wind and solar projects. Emre also has experience in greenfield project development including met mast installation and wind data follow up. He has played a vital role in some major projects, with a focus on energy yield assessment studies for wind energy projects, preparation of technical specifications for wind and solar energy projects and conducting technical due diligence studies including Owner’s or Lender’s engineering services. He has been through the project phases of about 500 MW wind energy development of seven projects and took part in creating more than 3 GW greenfield wind project development.

Boldly Moving Forward

At the beginning of March, we launched our bold corporate strategy based on an extensive evaluation of global trends, capabilities and markets to understand the largest opportunities, projected spend and growth rates – resulting in the identification of three growth accelerators: Climate Response, Consultancy & Advisory and Data Solutions. The launch video and accompanying materials are available to view at invest.jacobs.com.

As a purpose-led company, ESG is foundational in all our markets. We recently created an Office of Global Climate Response and ESG to deliver on the company's commitments to climate change through innovative solutions for clients and shareholders and appointed Jan Walstrom as senior vice president, Office of Global Climate Response & ESG. This role leads a corporate function that acts as the connecting point for Jacobs’ end market and enabling market solutions, where every project the company plans, designs and delivers now becomes a climate response opportunity for clients within the framework of energy transition, decarbonisation, adaptation and mitigation, and natural resource stewardship. You can read our latest ESG report here.

About Jacobs

At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good. With $14 billion in revenue and a talent force of approximately 55,000, Jacobs provides a full spectrum of professional services including consulting, technical, scientific and project delivery for the government and private sector. Visit jacobs.com and connect with Jacobs on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

To learn more about Jacobs Energy and Power Solutions, get in touch:

Aaron Hochwimmer, Director of Operations Power, Australia and New Zealand

Aaron.Hochwimmer@jacobs.com

Scott Henderson, Market Director – Power & Energy, Australia and New Zealand

Scott.Henderson@jacobs.com

Dr Stephen Ireland – Global Solutions Director, Power Generation and Regional Solutions Director, Power & Energy – Asia Pacific

Stephen.Ireland@jacobs.com