Principal Engineer - Hydroelectric

Sgurrenergy; Pune District; On-site; INR 800,000 - 1,100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Travel opportunities

International project exposure

Job summary

SgurrEnergy seeks a Technical Delivery & Expertise leader to drive mechanical, hydraulic and electromechanical designs for conventional hydroelectric and pumped storage projects through feasibility, basic and detailed design, procurement, construction, commissioning and operations.

You will oversee project configuration, turbine selection, hydraulic design, equipment specifications and interfaces with civil, electrical and control teams, while mentoring engineers and ensuring compliance with

Qualifications

• Extensive hydroelectric power plant design experience including turbines or pump-turbines and mechanical balance-of-plant.
• Strong understanding of hydraulic transients, cavitation, erosion and equipment performance.
• Experience in feasibility, detailed design, OEM evaluation and commissioning.

Responsibilities

• Lead and deliver mechanical, hydraulic and electromechanical engineering for hydro projects from feasibility to commissioning.
• Oversee project configuration, unit sizing, hydraulic design and valve/gate systems.
• Coordinate interfaces with civil, electrical and control-system teams and ensure design compliance with international codes.
• Mentor engineers and develop internal capability in hydraulic machinery and hydro-mechanical systems.

Skills

Hydroelectric design

Turbine selection

Hydraulic transients

Project management

Multidisciplinary coordination

Technical reporting

Standards (IEC/IEEE)

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical/Electrical Engineering

Job description

Technical Delivery & Expertise

• Lead and deliver mechanical, hydraulic and electromechanical engineering for conventional hydroelectric and pumped storage projects across feasibility, basic and detailed design, procurement, construction, commissioning and operational stages.
• Undertake and technically oversee key engineering activities, including:
  • Project configuration, installed-capacity optimisation, number and rating of units, operating range and powerhouse arrangement
  • Hydraulic design of intakes, waterways, pressure shafts, penstocks, manifolds, spiral casings, draft tubes, surge systems and tailraces
  • Calculation of gross head, net head, design discharge, hydraulic losses and equipment design pressures
  • Hydraulic transient, water-hammer and surge-control assessments for start-up, shutdown, load rejection, pump trip and emergency conditions
  • Selection and sizing of Francis, Kaplan, Pelton and other applicable turbines for conventional hydro projects
  • Selection and sizing of reversible pump-turbines and evaluation of fixed-speed, variable-speed and ternary pumped storage arrangements
  • Review of hill charts, four-quadrant characteristics, efficiency, cavitation, vibration, pressure pulsation, runaway speed and operating restrictions
  • Selection and specification of generators and motor-generators, including rating, speed, inertia, cooling, excitation, braking and starting arrangements
  • Design and specification of main inlet valves, gates, stoplogs, trash racks, hoists and other hydro-mechanical equipment
  • Design of cooling water, lubrication, drainage, dewatering, compressed air, service water, fire protection and mechanical auxiliary systems
  • Powerhouse layouts, erection and maintenance clearances, lifting requirements, access and major equipment replacement arrangements
  • Plant operating philosophy covering generation, pumping, start-up, shutdown, mode change, synchronous condenser operation and emergency sequences
  • Prepare and review design basis reports, calculations, equipment selection studies, specifications, data sheets, P&IDs, layouts, bills of quantities and tender drawings.
  • Coordinate turbine-generator and mechanical-system interfaces with civil, structural, geotechnical, electrical, grid and control-system teams.
  • Provide mechanical and hydraulic inputs to energy modelling, feasibility assessment, project cost estimates, schedules, operating strategies and lifecycle evaluations.
  • Identify risks relating to hydraulic transients, cavitation, erosion, vibration, fatigue, reliability, constructability and maintainability, and recommend mitigation measures.
  • Assess existing hydro assets for refurbishment, uprating, efficiency improvement, residual life, equipment obsolescence and operational optimisation.

Advisory, Procurement & Project Support

• Support pre-feasibility studies, feasibility studies, owners engineering, lenders engineering, technical due diligence and independent engineering assignments for hydro and pumped storage projects.
• Prepare technical tender documents and evaluate OEM and contractor proposals for turbines, pump-turbines, generators, motor-generators, valves, gates and mechanical balance-of-plant packages.
• Review OEM calculations, drawings, performance curves, model-test results, guarantees, manufacturing documents and proposed technical deviations.
• Support manufacturing inspections, factory tests, construction, installation, commissioning, performance testing, equipment acceptance and site issue resolution.

Technical Governance, Codes & Standards

• Establish SgurrEnergys hydro and pumped storage design philosophies, engineering procedures, calculation templates, specifications, checklists and technical review protocols.
• Ensure designs comply with applicable IEC, IEEE, ISO, ASME, IS and other relevant national and international hydropower codes, standards and statutory requirements.
• Act as the internal technical authority for critical mechanical and hydraulic deliverables and ensure assumptions, interfaces, design decisions and departures from standards are properly reviewed and documented.

Quality Assurance & Reporting

• Prepare clear, technically robust and client-ready reports, design notes, specifications, bid evaluations, review comments, inspection reports, commissioning procedures and presentations.
• Support QA/QC reviews, supplier qualification, inspection and test plans, non-conformity resolution and acceptance criteria for major hydroelectric and pumped storage equipment.

Collaboration & Capability Development

• Work across SgurrEnergys Business Verticals covering energy advisory, design and engineering, project management consultancy, power and grid dynamics, environmental and technical investigations, and quality assurance and inspections.
• Mentor engineers and develop internal capability in hydraulic machinery, hydro-mechanical systems, mechanical balance-of-plant, equipment selection and multidisciplinary hydroelectric power plant design.
• Develop training material, technical libraries, standard tools and lessons learned, and contribute to recruitment, knowledge-sharing sessions, technical papers and thought leadership.

Operational Responsibilities

• Manage assigned technical scopes, resources, budgets, schedules, deliverables and multidisciplinary interfaces effectively.
• Travel domestically and internationally (approximately 1525% of time) for site visits, investigations, client meetings, factory inspections and commissioning support.
• Support proposals, technical methodologies, effort estimates, client presentations and business development for hydroelectric and pumped storage opportunities.

Requirements

• In-depth expertise in complete hydroelectric power plant design, including turbines or pump-turbines, waterways, generators or motor-generators and mechanical balance-of-plant.
• Strong understanding of hydraulic transients, cavitation, sediment erosion, vibration, fatigue, equipment performance and plant operating requirements.
• Experience in feasibility, engineering design, specifications, OEM evaluation, manufacturing review, installation and commissioning.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, multidisciplinary coordination and engineering judgement.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, with the ability to produce high-quality technical documentation and client presentations.
• Ability to lead complex assignments, mentor engineers and deliver quality work within agreed budgets and timelines.