[20131123] The Straits Times - Packing A Lot Of Powerhttps://www.spgroup.com.sg/dam/spgroup/wcm/connect/spgrp/9ad6f84a-900f-4221-95e8-53fda9a7f3be/%5B20131123%5D+The+Straits+Times+-+Packing+A+Lot+Of+Power.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CVID=SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2013 Careers in Engineering Packing a lot of power Principal engineer Chan Hong Jiang relishes the unpredictable challenges that he faces in his job at Singapore Power by suresh nair PRINCIPAL engineer Chan Hong Jiang enjoys challenges and switches on when there is a major blackout. Thankfully, it is not often that power outages occur here and Singapore has one of the fewest and shortest power outages of cities worldwide, as rated by international industry indices, thanks to Singapore Power’s world-class electricity and gas transmission, distribution and market support services. “When a power outage occurs, the immediate concern is to restore the supply to affected customers safely and quickly,” says Mr Chan, 32, who has worked for seven years with Singapore Power, which covers over a million Singapore industrial and domestic customers. His team looks after the operations and maintenance of electricity distribution networks in the southern region of Singapore, which covers the Orchard Road shopping belt, Sentosa and the Central Business District area. The daily work, which he calls an unpredictable challenge, includes maintenance, repair and renewal of power equipment such as switchgear, transformers and power cables of various voltages from 400V up to 66kV deployed in the various electrical substations. “We also have to respond expeditiously to any power outages or incidents that occur at any time and restore electrical supply to affected customers,” he adds. “I have been here seven years, there is never a typical day at work. I’m always learning and growing in my job.” He relishes “bigger challenges” in national and regional projects, citing the National Day Parade (NDP) 2010 and Guangzhou 2010 Asian Games which “gave me the chance to hone my technical skills”. His role in the technical support committee for NDP 2010 was to ensure there were no power outages in the vicinity of the surrounding parade area and to have quick restoration of power supply in the event of any supply failure. Going to Guangzhou for a week for the Asian Games was “another breathtaking challenge” after China Southern Power Grid wanted condition monitoring work on the power supply infrastructure for the Guangzhou Asian Games. “I was part of the team carrying out cable diagnostic tests on the Guangzhou power network. During the trip, we shared our experience in condition monitoring with our counterparts and I also learnt about their work processes and network equipment. This was indeed an eyeopening experience.” Mr Chan studied at Raffles Institution and Victoria Junior College, after which he earned a degree in electrical engineering at the National University of Singapore. He joined SP Power- Grid soon after graduation and was posted to the Regional Network South as an executive engineer. His work philosophy is delivering quality work without looking at the clock. He says: “I think one key quality is the willingness to go the extra mile to ensure that the work carried out is up to mark. Any slip-up will not only affect the company’s performance, but could also potentially affect a very large customer base or in the worst case, cause a safety hazard to the public.” We also have to respond expeditiously to any power outages or incidents that occur at any time and restore electrical supply to affected customers. I have been here seven years, there is never a typical day at work. I’m always learning and growing in my job. — Mr Chan Hong Jiang, principal engineer, Singapore Power He is appreciative that his wife, Candy Ho, 29, a financial planner, supports his “unpredictable and challenging work hours”. “Occasionally I have to work at night and during weekends to handle emergency repairs or electricity supply shutdowns which take place only when the customer premises are empty,” he says. “My wife is very understanding and offers a lot of encouragement and support. This spurs me on to complete my work quickly and safely so that I can go back to my family as soon as possible.” His role model is his 62-year-old father, Mr Chan Teck Chua, whose work attitude, despite minimal education, was exemplary as an auxiliary salesman. “My father, a quiet and humble man, has been a good role model for me,” he says. “Although he did not receive much education and did not have a well-paying job, he worked very hard and lived frugally to provide for the family, something which he did very well and with much pride. I am trying to do the same for my wife and, in the future, for my kids.” Mr Chan’s work philosophy is delivering quality work without looking at the clock. PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG