Lead Switchyard Design Engineer

Job Description

Industry: Utilities, RE Solar/Wind, EPC, Transmission, Heavy Industries

Role Purpose:

Lead complete electrical design and engineering of AIS/GIS switchyards for power evacuation from solar, wind, thermal, or industrial plants. Own technical responsibility from basic engineering to charging, ensuring grid compliance, safety, reliability, and cost optimization.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Primary Engineering & Layout Design

• Design 66kV/132kV/220kV/400kV switchyard general arrangement, equipment layout, and sectional views per CEA, IEC, and utility standards.
• Finalize bay configuration: Line, Transformer, Bus-coupler, Bus-section, Reactor, and Capacitor bays. LILO and D/C tower interface.
• Size major equipment: Power transformers, ICTs, Circuit breakers, Isolators, CT, CVT/PT, SA, Wave trap, PLCC, and bus conductors/tubes.
• Prepare DSLP, key SLD, switchyard plan & elevation, clearance diagrams, and stringing charts.

1. Engineering Calculations & Studies

• Perform and review system studies: Load flow, Short circuit, Insulation coordination, TRV, Earthing design per IEEE-80, and Lightning protection per IS/IEC 62305.
• Conduct conductor sag-tension, cantilever strength, and short circuit force calculations for strung bus and tubular bus.
• Design rigid bus with post insulators, flexible ACSR bus, and cable termination structures.
• Size station transformers, AC/DC distribution boards, battery & charger, and DG for switchyard auxiliary supply.

1. Secondary System & Protection Design

• Finalize protection & metering philosophy: Line differential, distance, REF, busbar, O/C & E/F, and synchro-check schemes.
• Design control & protection panel schematics, AC/DC SLD, interlock logic, and marshalling box termination details.
• Develop SAS architecture using IEC 61850, with BCU, BCPU, RTU/Gateway for SLDC/RLDC data integration.
• Prepare relay setting calculation request sheets and coordinate with protection team for final settings.

1. Civil-Electrical Interface & Procurement Support

• Issue electrical load data for civil foundation design: equipment loads, short circuit forces, wind loads, and seismic data.
• Design cable trench/tray/duct layout, lighting & LP layout, fire protection, and switchyard fencing/earthing layout.
• Prepare technical specifications, datasheets, GTP and BOQ for all switchyard equipment.
• Lead technical bid evaluation, vendor drawing approval, FAT stage inspection, and resolution of site NCRs.

1. Compliance, Approvals & Commissioning

• Ensure design compliance with CEA Regulations 2010, Grid Code, CEIG requirements, and CTU/STU connectivity procedure.
• Prepare drawings/documents for CEIG submission and support in obtaining charging approval.
• Provide engineering support during erection, testing, and commissioning. Review pre-commissioning test reports: CT/PT ratio, Tan-delta, DCRM, SF6 analysis, mV drop.
• Prepare as-built drawings, O&M manuals, and close punch points for handover.

1. Leadership & Coordination

• Review and approve design deliverables from junior engineers and draftsmen. Ensure quality and on-time release of IFC.
• Interface with civil, structural, SCADA, telecom, and site teams. Attend customer/utility meetings and technical discussions.

Required Qualifications & Skills:

• Education: B.E./B.Tech in Power Systems preferred.

• Standards: IEC 60076, 62271, 61850, 60815; IEEE-80, 605; IS 2026, 2705, 3043; CEA Regulations & Grid Code.
• Experience: Min 10-12 years with 6+ executed switchyards ≥132kV from design to charging. Must have handled both AIS & GIS. RE pooling substation experience preferred. techno-commercial acumen, and strong documentation/reporting.

Key Deliverables Owned by This Role:

1. IFC Switchyard Layout, DSLP, Earthing & DSLP, Cable trench layout
2. Equipment sizing calculations & approved vendor drawings
3. Protection SLD, Schematics, and SAS architecture
4. CEIG approval dossier and charging documents

• Must be willing for extended site deputation during charging phase.