Session 3 - 2024.ieeepowertalks.com

Session Three

Distribution systems

Moderated by

Yousuf Al Mahrooqi

Chief Technical Officer - Nama Electricity Distribution

Yousuf Al Mahrooqi

Chief Technical Officer - Nama Electricity Distribution

Mr. Yousuf Mohammed Al Mahrooqi joined the Company in June 2023 as general manager of corporate affairs. Mr. Al Mahrooqi is also a member of [the internal tender committee] within the Company. Prior to his current role, he was in Acting Chief Distribution Officer at MEDC, and he has previously held roles within the Company in Regulatory, Compliance and Corporate Planning, Operation Manager, Senior Manager Projects Delivery. Mr. Al Mahrooqi has also held the position of [Health, Safety & Environment (HSE)] Chairman for Nama Improvement Committee. Mr. Al Mahrooqi has a Master of Science in network planning from Sultan Qaboos University, Oman since 2012 and a Master of Research in business administration from Liverpool University, UK since 2016.

Network Modernization: Upgrading and modernizing the Nama Distri- bution Substation to enhance the Efficiency, Reliability and Resilience

Gandhiraj Kanagalingam

Senior Engineer – Projects Design, Nama Electricity Distribution

Gandhiraj Kanagalingam

Senior Engineer – Projects Design, Nama Electricity Distribution

Gandhiraj Kanagalingam received the Bachelor of Engineering degree in electrical and electronics engineering from Bharathidasan University, India, in 2003. He is completed his Diploma in Embedded system and applications from Annamalai University in 2006 and completed his Master of Technology degree from Bharathidasan University, India in 2008.

He joined Nama Electricity Distribution (earlier Muscat Electricity Distribution Company) in 2013 as a Senior Projects Engineer in the project management department. His cutting-edge technology knowledge and optimization interests lie in the area of design optimization to reduce the projects CAPEX and OPEX cost. In 2016, he transferred from project management department to the projects design department to utilize his technology knowledge and design optimization experience to the substation design.

He made optimized, standard, cost and time effective changes in the Nama Electricity Distribution Substation design to enhance efficiency, more reliability and resilience to the future. He has presented papers in Nama technical seminars and workshops. He has collaborated actively with new engineers, trainee engineers, college students and
transfers his knowledge to them.

Resilience and Reliability: Need of Disruption Risk Management System at Power Distribution Utilities

Dr. Muhannad Al-Suhaily

Senior Consultant, Asset Management - DNV

Dr. Muhannad Al-Suhaily

Senior Consultant, Asset Management - DNV

Dr. Muhannad has a background as an electrical engineer, he gained experience on the field of Power Failure Investigation, Asset condition assessment, Health Indexing and maintenance decision support system methodology for high voltage capital assets during his work at DNV GL and his research work at Delft University of technology in the Netherlands.

Publications and Papers:

Dr. Muhannad has authored several papers on topics such as power inverters, root cause analysis of distribution assets, and preventive diagnostics for GIS. Latest publications include works presented at Cigre Paris 2024 and GCC Cigre 2023

Memberships:

Member of Cigre (Council on Large Electric Systems)
Member of IAM (Institute of Asset Management)
Member of IAC (Industry Advisory Committee) organized by the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) in UAE

Implementing a scalable IoT/Cloud-Enabled Electric Load Management System for Efficient and Reliable EV Charging Infrastructure that adheres to DNO power restraints

Deepak Ramachandran

Technical Promoter – IoT & Digitalization, Siemens

Deepak Ramachandran

Technical Promoter – IoT & Digitalization, Siemens

Deepak is the Technical Promoter for IoT and Digitalization in Electrification and Automation at Siemens, UAE. With over 19 years of experience, he has been delivering solutions in Substation Automation, IoT and OT Cyber Security for key customers across the region.

Phasor Measurement Unit Application in Monitoring Medium Voltage Distribution Network integrated with Distributed Energy Resources

Mohd Zamri Che Wanik

Senior Scientist in Power System, Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute

Mohd Zamri Che Wanik

Senior Scientist in Power System, Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute

Dr.-Ing. Mohd Zamri Che Wanik is a Power & Renewable Systems Engineering and Research Specialist. He received his BSc. from the University of Evansville, U.S.A., MEngSc. from the Curtin University of Technology, Australia and Doktor der Ingenieurwissenschaften (equivalent to PhD) from Universität Duisburg-Essen, Germany in 1997, 2002 and 2011 respectively all in Electrical Engineering specialising in Electrical Power System. He was an academic staff at Malaysian National University where he teaches power system subjects and supervised theses.

He is acknowledged as an expert and was constantly referred by Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), the largest electric utility company in Malaysia. His works led to the amendment of Malaysia Grid Codes to accommodate large scale solar farm, improvement of Malaysian PV interconnection guidelines to medium voltage grid, pilot demonstration project on distributed generation management in TNB Distribution network, pilot demonstration of Microgrid operation at TNB, Malaysian Electric Vehicle charging infrastructure guidelines, the net metering policy with RE to name a few. Since 2016, he is with Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute as Scientist/Project Lead – Advanced Power Systems-Smart Grids. He is a senior member of IEEE, a member of IEEE PES, and a member of CIGRE.

The Electric Distribution System in Oman: Current Context and Key Factors to a Smooth Energy Transition. control.

Said Al Mashaikhi

Electricity Project Manager, Nama Dhofar Services

Said Al Mashaikhi

Electricity Project Manager, Nama Dhofar Services

With over 16 years of industry knowledge in the power utility sector, particularly in electricity distribution across numerous distribution firms in the Sultanate of Oman, I bring forth an excellent blend of leadership, operational acumen, and technical prowess. My professional journey also features an intensive nine-year tenure in a leadership position, offering me hands-on experience in team and project management. Presently, I am honing my managerial skills in the capacity of an Electricity Projects Manager at Dhofar Integrated Services Company. My role involves leading a high-performing project team and delivering a variety of electricity distribution projects for 33kV and below in Dhofar Governorate.

I am proficient at managing complex projects, outlining objectives, and navigating challenges to attain the desired objectives. My technical expertise, project management skills, and leadership experience make me an ideal professional in the power utility sector. As an academically well-rounded individual, I possess an MSc in Renewable Energy from Edinburgh Napier University (2021) and a bachelor’s degree in Power System & Energy Engineering (2007) from Sultan Qaboos University. These accomplishments have enriched my understanding of the sector, furnishing me with the knowledge and foresight to innovate in the ever-evolving energy market.

OHL Design Optimization

Abdulrahim Al Saifi

Electrical & OHL Engineer, PDO

Abdulrahim Al Saifi

Electrical & OHL Engineer, PDO

Eng. Abdulrahim Al Saifi is Electrical & OHL Engineer graduated from Caledonian College of Engineering, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman BENG (Hons) Degree in Electrical Power Engineering. He has a wide experience in oil and gas industry and specialized in OHL design in PLS CADD software. He is a key player in PDO to review and approve the OHL design and standards. Besides, Abdulrahim is involved in reviewing OHL integrity and projects within PDO and revealing for the latest solutions. Recently, He has been certified as a cable jointer and certified on supervision of Installation Raychem Heat shrink Termination and Joints up to 36 kV. Concurrently, he has been certified by the Ministry of Higher Education as a Cable Jointer Instructor, As well as freelancer for OHL , cables, and cable termination courses.

On top of that, Abdulrahim is working to build capability within PDO staff and committed to run the below trainings:

Design 33KV & 132kV distribution and Transmission system.
Construction and commissioning 33KV & 132kV distribution and Transmission system
Cable jointing, termination Installation and failure investigation.