Company Description

We are one of the Financial Times' Africa's Fastest Growing Companies! PowerGen ranked 40th in the overall rankings and 5th in the Energy & Utilities sector. PowerGen a leading renewable energy platform in sub-Saharan Africa. PowerGen owns and operates renewable energy and distribution utility assets to deliver clean, reliable, and affordable power to all. We are looking for professionals who want to be a part of a highly driven team which is at the forefront of the market and hungry to reshape the landscape of energy in Africa. We want leaders who are committed to the mission and able to think broadly and dynamically about a complex challenge, without losing focus on the critical day-to-day details of managing projects or a team.

Job Description

Purpose

The Owner’s Engineer serves as the technical representative of the asset owner, providing independent engineering oversight and validation throughout the design, procurement, construction, commissioning, and performance verification of large-scale solar PV and battery energy storage projects.

The role ensures that project designs are technically robust, bankable, and capable of delivering firm, dispatchable power, meeting contractual requirements for hourly baseload delivery with ≥95% availability.

The Owner’s Engineer will validate technical studies, system design assumptions, plant performance modelling, and engineering deliverables prepared by EPC contractors and consultants to ensure long-term reliability, safety, and optimal asset performance.

Projects typically range from 20 MW to 200 MW utility-scale solar PV integrated with battery energy storage systems (BESS) and grid interconnection infrastructure.

Key Responsibilities

1. Project Feasibility & Technical Study Validation

Review and validate all technical studies supporting project bankability and design development, including:

• Site Selection & Resource Studies
• Solar resource assessment and satellite data validation
• Long-term irradiation datasets and uncertainty analysis
• Shading and horizon analysis
• Site screening and comparative site selection
• Topographical & Land Studies
• Review detailed topographical surveys
• Validate plant layout optimization and earthworks assumptions
• Evaluate grading requirements and site constructability
• Geotechnical Studies
• Review soil investigations, pile pull tests, and geotechnical reports
• Validate foundation design assumptions
• Assess risk of settlement, pile refusal, or soil instability
• Hydrological & Drainage Studies
• Review flood risk modelling
• Evaluate site drainage design
• Validate stormwater management strategies
• Grid Interconnection & Power System Studies
• Review and validate:
  • Grid interconnection studies
  • Load flow studies
  • Short circuit analysis
  • Transient stability studies
  • Harmonic studies
  • Protection coordination studies
• Ensure compliance with utility grid codes and interconnection requirements.

2. Plant Design & Performance Optimization

Review and validate engineering designs prepared by EPC contractors and consultants. Key areas include:

• Solar PV Plant Design
• Plant layout and DC architecture
• String sizing and DC/AC ratio optimization
• Tracker vs fixed tilt selection
• Cable routing and electrical balance of plant
• Energy Yield Modelling
• Validate production modelling performed in tools such as:
  • PVsyst
  • Helioscope
  • HOMER
  • Internal performance models
• Verify:
  • Loss assumptions
  • Degradation models
  • Curtailment assumptions
  • Availability modelling
  • P50 / P90 production estimates
• BESS Integration & Firm Power Delivery
• Review design and operation of Battery Energy Storage Systems integrated with solar plants. Key responsibilities:
  • Validate battery sizing assumptions for firm power delivery
  • Review charge/discharge strategies
  • Evaluate state-of-charge management
  • Review EMS and SCADA control logic
  • Ensure system capability to deliver firm hourly baseload output
  • Validate the ability of the integrated PV + BESS system to meet:
    • Dispatch obligations
    • 95% operational availability
    • Contractual power delivery guarantees
• 3. Performance Guarantees & Contractual Validation
• Support the asset owner in validating EPC contractual guarantees, including:
  • Plant capacity guarantees
  • Performance ratio guarantees
  • Energy yield guarantees
  • System availability guarantees
  • BESS performance guarantees (cycle life, round-trip efficiency)
• Ensure guarantees are realistic, measurable, and enforceable.
• 4. Engineering Design Review
• Review detailed engineering designs prepared by EPC contractors, including:
  • Electrical single line diagrams
  • Substation and grid interconnection design
  • Protection and control schemes
  • SCADA and EMS architecture
  • Plant layout drawings
  • BESS container layout and safety systems
• Ensure compliance with:
  • IEC standards
  • IEEE standards
  • Utility grid codes
  • Local regulatory requirements
• 5. Construction Quality Oversight
• Conduct site inspections to verify installation quality and compliance with approved designs.
• Monitor EPC contractor QA/QC procedures and verify installation of key systems including:
  • PV arrays and trackers
  • Inverter stations
  • Medium voltage networks
  • Substations
  • BESS containers and PCS systems
• 6. FAT, SAT & Commissioning Oversight
• Review and approve commissioning and testing procedures.
• Witness testing and commissioning on site
• Witness Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT) for critical equipment including:
  • Solar inverters
  • Power conversion systems
  • Battery modules
  • Energy management systems
• Participate in Site Acceptance Tests (SAT), including:
  • Grid energization
  • SCADA integration
  • Performance verification tests
  • BESS dispatch testing
• 7. Operational Readiness & Performance Verification
• Ensure the plant is capable of meeting operational targets including:
  • 95% guaranteed availability
  • Firm hourly power delivery obligations
  • Compliance with grid dispatch requirements
• Validate:
  • CoD and O&M readiness
  • Monitoring systems
  • Performance Ratio and Performance Guarantees

Key Performance Indicators

Quality and accuracy of engineering design reviews

Technical risk mitigation during design and construction

Successful validation of technical studies

Compliance with engineering standards and project specifications

Successful completion of FAT, SAT, and commissioning

Verified plant performance aligned with contractual guarantees

Guaranteed Performance Ratios

Operational reliability and availability ≥95%

Qualifications

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Renewable Energy Engineering, or related discipline.

Experience acting as Owner’s Engineer, Independent Engineer, Lender’s Engineer, or Technical Advisor on large infrastructure projects.

Strong knowledge of grid interconnection and power system integration.

Professional engineering registration preferred.

Required Experience

Minimum 10–15 years experience in renewable energy engineering, including solar PV and battery storage systems.

Demonstrated experience in hybrid utility-scale solar PV and battery energy storage systems. Experience acting as: Owner’s Engineer; Independent Engineer; or Lender’s Engineer

Candidates must demonstrate:

• Participation in at least three (3) utility-scale solar PV projects exceeding 30 MW each
• At least one (1) project exceeding 100 MW solar PV
• Experience with PV + BESS hybrid systems is strongly preferred
• Strong experience in reviewing or performing:
  • Solar resource assessment;
  • PV yield modelling (PVsyst);
  • Grid interconnection studies;
  • Power system modelling (ETAP, PSSE, PSCAD);
  • Geotechnical and topographical study interpretation;
  • BESS sizing and dispatch mode

• Review and validate all technical studies supporting project bankability and design development, including site selection & resource studies, topographical & land studies, geotechnical studies, hydrological & drainage studies, and grid interconnection & power system studies.
• Review and validate engineering designs prepared by EPC contractors and consultants, focusing on solar PV plant design, energy yield modelling, and BESS integration & firm power delivery.
• Support the asset owner in validating EPC contractual guarantees, including plant capacity, performance ratio, energy yield, system availability, and BESS performance guarantees.
• Review detailed engineering designs prepared by EPC contractors, ensuring compliance with relevant standards and regulations.
• Conduct site inspections to verify installation quality and compliance with approved designs.
• Review and approve commissioning and testing procedures, and witness testing and commissioning on site, including FAT and SAT.
• Ensure the plant is capable of meeting operational targets, including availability and firm hourly power delivery obligations.
• Validate CoD and O&M readiness, monitoring systems, and performance ratios.

• Strong knowledge of grid interconnection and power system integration.
• Experience in reviewing or performing solar resource assessment.
• Experience in PV yield modelling (PVsyst).
• Experience in grid interconnection studies.
• Experience in power system modelling (ETAP, PSSE, PSCAD).
• Experience in geotechnical and topographical study interpretation.
• Experience in BESS sizing and dispatch mode.

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Renewable Energy Engineering, or related discipline.
• Experience acting as Owner’s Engineer, Independent Engineer, Lender’s Engineer, or Technical Advisor on large infrastructure projects.
• Professional engineering registration preferred.