Alan Crombie, Chief Engineer - Power Systems in our projects team, is celebrating a 35-year milestone with UGL. From automating a shampoo factory to commissioning power stations, Alan's journey unveils a tapestry of projects that have shaped his expertise within the electrical space.
Tell us about your journey
“I started in UGL Systems Engineering division as an engineer fresh out of the Energy Australia power engineering cadetship. My first job was automating the Pears Shampoo factory near Sydney which was a great learning experience. From there I worked on transmission lines in Darwin looking after the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems that are used for controlling, monitoring, and analysing industrial devices and processes. I was also part of the team who put in the first robotics in the Sydney TAFE, which was a big highlight back in the day.
“My journey has been varied during the 35 years, I have had the opportunity to be part of a variety of different projects in the electrical space, from small sewage treatment projects right up to the 500kV high voltage sites around the country.”
What UGL projects stand out as a milestone for you?
“Back in the 90’s, I helped commission a power station in Mount Keith, WA. I was part of the team that put large diesel engines on site where I designed and commissioned all the protection and controls for the project. As part of the project, I went to France where the engines were made to understand how the control system would integrate with our project.
“I was also involved with the 132kV transmission line project that ran from Katherine to Darwin that UGL designed, owned (1990 to 2005) and operated as NT Power. One stand out memory was being asked by the Company Owners (we were privately owned at that stage) if we could connect a 40MW generator to the 132kV line for a Gold Mine at Pine Creek. They needed the answer the next day, so after a few quick calculations and discussions with the likes of John Giles and Greg Moller, we decided to give it a crack. All was good and we synchronised way before schedule, and everyone was happy.”
What advice would you give someone starting at UGL?
“Understanding how your part in the project interfaces with the bigger picture helps to improve the success overall. Receiving direct feedback while onsite can help you understand everyone’s perspective. Get to know the site crew so you can have a collaborative conversation about how best to address issues as they occur.”
