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Back to SearchGHD welcomes established thought leader in substation design and operation, Rod Hughes as Principal Electrical Engineer with a particular focus on traditional and IEC 61850 secondary systems.
Rod brings notable experience of having managed and steered several technology changes in the power industry that has seen ElectraNet, TransGrid and Endeavour Energy, amongst others, all benefit from implementing their first IEC 61850 projects with strategic plans, design concepts and systems specifications.
“Rod’s immense knowledge of the sector has helped shaped priority innovation in substation protection and automation for asset owners, consultants and system integrators to create and enhance asset value at a time when economic project outcomes are vital in utilities, renewables, industrial and mining sectors,” said Jennie Burdeniuk, Power Distribution and Industrial Service Line Leader at GHD.
Rod has held engineering and management responsibilities for medium and high voltage engineering planning, standardisation, specification, design, operation and maintenance of substations, lines, cables, protection and telecommunications.
“Joining GHD appealed to me because of size and capabilities of its power team covering 11 to 500 kV specification from the ‘ground up’. The power industry is faced with demands for rapid change from generation to the meter. GHD with its clients is actively progressing the industry towards fewer emissions, better reliability and security, all with lower cost outcomes,” Rod said.
“Effective change management in all facets of asset ownership and engineering through to the specification and design implementation to end of life is essential to effectively transition the industry.”
As it undergoes transformation, the electricity landscape is becoming more complex, impacted by rapidly evolving technologies and emerging innovations.
“The new technologies invariably revolve around information about the power system – the explosion of the ‘Internet of Things ’ and the ‘Smart Grid’. All these aspects demand an efficient vendor- and application-independent engineering process that eliminates future re-engineering every time something is added or replaced,” added Rod.
By blending his experience with innovative approaches, Rod will focus his time in the following areas:
- General substation design and operation
- Traditional protection
- Adoption of IEC 61850
- Incident reviews and asset management
“The calibre of talented people we have and those joining are very high. Their breadth and depth of knowledge has ensured GHD maintains a long legacy of conventional and innovative thinking that inspires transformation,” said Steve Bond, Australian Leader – Power, GHD.