ENGINEERING | AREAS OF WORK
ENERGY (POWER GENERATION) Address issues such as the rising demand for power, or join the search for sustainable sources of energy.
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ower generation deals with the production of energy, its transmission and distribution to homes and properties, as well as its metering and sales. This privatised industry is locally regulated by Singapore Power, and major players tend to be companies with full integrated structures that have the capability to generate, distribute, and sell power. Singapore’s strategic location within the Asian Sunbelt, as well as its strong logistics and R&D capabilities, have encouraged international companies to invest in clean energy research here in the citystate as well.
Career overview Commercial availability and profitability provide challenges on a daily basis as shortterm solutions need to be implemented quickly and safely. Long-term solutions must then be developed for the future. Circumstances can also change quickly, and engineers play a key role in managing this change. As a result, mobility is often required and projects can last from days to years. Typically, engineers work in small specialist teams, either in isolation or as part of a larger project group, and it is common to work on numerous projects simultaneously.
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STEM Career Guide 2021
Trends and developments
Career highlights
As current power infrastructure systems come to the end of their service life, nuclear power is seeing a global resurgence as new energy generation assets are needed to avoid worldwide power shortages. While climate change issues are pressuring engineers to deploy new sustainable energy solutions, the race is still on for reliable clean energy systems that can be deployed on a national scale and at an affordable cost to consumers. For instance, Singapore may have difficulties generating a regular supply of solar energy due to rapid weather changes, and this unsustainability translates to increased cost for solar power. It is problems like these that power generation engineers around the world are struggling to address.
Endless opportunities Graduates looking to enter this industry will find themselves various opportunities to tailor their roles to personal preferences and interests. They may either be deployed individually to address day-today technical issues, or integrated with other teams into a larger group for more complicated projects – such as the building of a new power plant. Some engineers, on the other hand, may end up taking on specialised consulting roles instead, offering their expert opinions on power generation projects. Skills required in energy (power generation)
• Project management skills • Ability to assess risks well • Decision-making skills • Good interpersonal skills • Ability to work in a team • Ability to see the bigger picture
