Careers in hydropower: engineering the energy systems of the future

Experts like Brian Minhinick, Rosa Diez, Ajay Chaudhary, Alan Warren and Guy Doyle offer insights into the engineering behind pumped storage in our latest podcast with Engineering Matters.

With over 35 years of experience, Brian leads Mott MacDonald's hydropower and pumped storage business. He's worked on massive projects like Kidston in Australia and plans for Lake Onslow in New Zealand. Brian highlights how pumped storage facilitates and combines cutting-edge renewable energy with repurposed infrastructure. This creates jobs in remote locations and supports decarbonisation.

Tunnelling expert Rosa brings a global perspective, having worked on hydropower and metro projects worldwide. She emphasises that while pumped storage requires solving complex engineering puzzles, cutting edge technology assists with project design and construction. Still, one can expect the unexpected working underground. Rosa's problem-solving skills enable the creation of breathtaking mega-projects.

Innovators like Brian, Rosa, Ajay, Alan and Guy make pumped storage an exciting field where complex challenges meet sustainability.

Ajay is a hydropower veteran whose 28-year career covers feasibility, design, and construction. He explains pumped storage from first principles, outlining how upper and lower reservoirs, tunnels, turbines and pumps work together. Ajay enjoys optimising schemes based on site-specific factors like head height and flows. His overview shows how physics and maths come to life in pumped storage.

Our world leading dam expert Alan Warren brings history to life describing the importance of the iconic multiple arch buttress dam which holds back the water in the upper reservoir at Ffestiniog. Designed and introduced to the UK by our predecessor company James Williamson & Partners, it’s another example of the multidisciplinary work required on these complex and critical projects.

As an energy economist, Guy has advised clients for over 40 years on markets, regulations and policies. He describes how pumped storage has evolved from peak load management to supporting renewable integration. Guy sees growth potential as the need for increased duration energy storage ramps up due to increasing renewable generation. His strategic insights illuminate how pumped storage provides stability amidst the global energy transition.

Innovators like Brian, Rosa, Ajay, Alan and Guy make pumped storage an exciting field where complex challenges meet sustainability. Their experiences demonstrate how careers in pumped storage hydropower can make a real impact as we engineer the clean energy systems of the future.

Find out more about hydropower in the latest Engineering Matters podcast.