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“We are building more than just Australia’s largest transmission line project; we are building the backbone of the renewables sector in Australia and the world is watching us.” That’s the view of Soroush Eshaghpour, SecureEnergy’s newly appointed Engineering Manager for EnergyConnect having previously been a senior engineer in the team. Transgrid’s EnergyConnect is being delivered by Elecnor.

Soroush has a clear vision of what the future holds for himself, his team, and the project. As a Civil Structural Engineer, he has been involved in many large-scale, multi-billion-dollar projects in power, oil and gas, mining, water, infrastructure, and marine works; however, EnergyConnect is the most iconic of all as it will be directly benefiting the future of millions of Australians.

“EnergyConnect is at the centre of the whole renewables transition in Australia. Over the next 10-15 years the whole world and in particular Australia will be pushing more towards the renewables, with many solar and wind farms being built. We are building the next generation of transmission lines to support the shift to alternative clean energy,” he said.

“You need to somehow transfer the electricity from the source to the end user and that’s where Transgrid’s transmission lines come into place. These high voltage lines allow the efficient transfer of electricity over long distances from generators to distribution networks and ultimately the customers. Our transmission lines and substations are going to be the backbone of the renewables sector in Australia.”

This sector is a buoyant one and he says in the next ten to fifteen years, there will be many opportunities.

“I am a firm believer that once we successfully deliver this project, it will change the lives of millions of Australians for the better and allow us to continue further developing this sector.

Australian first

With an Engineering Team consisting of over 100 people, the work and demands on time is challenging. “Our designs need to be functional and meet the standards we set ourselves and the expectations of our client. This includes all safety and sustainability requirements,” he says.

“We want to be sustainable. We don’t want to waste steel and concrete and therefore our main objectives are ensuring that our design is innovative, optimised and fit for purpose.”

The use of guyed steel towers for a 330kV tower on EnergyConnect is an innovation Soroush is immensely proud of. Typically, guyed towers are used on smaller transmission lines, and this is the first time in Australia that a guyed tower has been used for a 330kV double circuit transmission line.

Leading by example

Soroush is an enabler who wants to see his team of ‘great engineers’ reach their full potentials.

“Obviously, we’ve got the day-to-day supporting of the business and the project, but at the same time it’s important to listen to people’s aspirations and help them achieve their goals.”

“As a leader you want to lead by example, you want to be on the ground with the team, listening, supporting, and empowering them. A good leader should have resilience, integrity, and empathy, whilst also inspiring the team to collaborate, innovate and achieve excellence.”

ENDS

SecureEnergy and our delivery partner Transgrid are building the 700km NSW section of the project from the SA border to the regional energy hub of Wagga Wagga, with a connection to Red Cliffs in Victoria.

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