EM - August/September 2011 - (Page 22)

22 Energy International Aug/Sept 2011 www.esb.ie/em Sustainability with a smile! ESBI Page 28 Engineers Ireland Charterships ESBI’s Day-in-the-Life event ESB International Over 150 staff who joined esBI in the last three years had a special invitation to the annual ‘Day-in-theLife’ event that showcases a range of projects underway in esBI through an afternoon of presentations. the conference, on friday May 20th, was opened by esBI Manager Ollie Brogan and the event was compered by Noel Caffrey, of esBI Hr, who introduced speakers including: • illiam O’Sullivan, of the Power W Plant team, discussing his role on the Moneypoint environmental Retrofit Project. • atherine O’Brien, of the Civil C and structural renewables team, outlining her role on the construction of the Garvagh Glebe Wind farm. • iobhan O’Neill, of the Power SysS tems studies group, summarising her responsibilities on the Bahrain distribution system planning project. • incent Power, of the HV Design V group, sketching out his role in designing substations over the past few years. • iam O’Sullivan, of the Asset L Management services team, providing a review of his investigation into what appeared to be a type fault on a circuit breaker. Presentations were also made by electricaid and the Irish red Cross, the latter focusing on the Japan tsu- Congratulations to ESBI staff who recently received their Chartership from Engineers Ireland. Pictured are (l-r): Louise Connolly, Sean Kirwan, Mick Mackey, Head of Engineering; Margie McCarthy, Membership Director, Engineers Ireland; Brian Gallagher, Robert Jordan and Greg Hanna, ESBI Chartership Coordinator. Missing from photo are: Neil McDonagh, Ronan Murphy, Sarah Stapleton, Robert Scott, Seamus Fitzgerald, Deirdre Newell, Johan Swan, Afra Ronayne and Donnchadh Irish. A cheque for €5,000 was presented by ESBI staff to the Irish Red Cross in aid of their Japanese Tsunami Appeal. Money raised was matched by a donation from ElectricAid. Seated are: James Foley, ElectricAid and Ronan K.D. Ryan, Irish Red Cross with Maureen Ferguson and Ollie Brogan, ESBI. Vietnamese Delegation visits ESB Pictured at ESBI Engineering Solutions 2011 Day in the Life conference were (l-r): William O’Sullivan, Power Plant; Pat O’Doherty, Executive Director, ESB Energy International; Siobhan O’Neill, High Voltage; Ollie Brogan, Manager, ESBI; Catherine O’Brien, Civil and Structural; Vincent Power, High Voltage; and Liam O’Sullivan, Asset Management Services. Mr. Vuong Hoang Quoc, Vice Minister at the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Vietnam presents Pat O’Doherty, Executive Director, ESB Energy International with a framed reproduction of the Ngoc Lu bronze drum, one of the most famous drums fabricated by the Dong Son culture of northern Vietnam. The presentation took place during a visit by a Vietnamese delegation to ESBI in May. Mr. Vuong, was accompanied by senior executives of Electricity of Vietnam and the Electricity Regulatory Authority of Vietnam. nami appeal and how electricaid is helping the victims of that natural disaster. “It was a fantastic conference,” said Ollie Brogan. “the presentations were informative and provided a great opportunity for new members of staff to learn about the work being done by their colleagues from different parts of the organisation.” n Francois celebrates Irish citizenship ESBI Bahrain profile: Patrick Phelan PAtRiCk PHeLAN jOiNeD eSB in 1968 and worked in Portloaise District Office. He moved to Bahrain in 1978, two years after the first wave of esB staff arrived in the kingdom. With the exception of a short year stint back in Ireland, he has lived there ever since and now works the electricity and Water Authority. Patrick recalls his early days in Bahrain ‘getting to know employees with strange names like Mubarak, Hassan and Latifa, learning the arabic numerals and settling into a house along with colleagues 73 people from 24 countries became newly minted Irish citizens in a ceremony at Dublin Castle on 24th June, the first of its kind held in Ireland. ESBI’s Francois Pienaar and his wife Margaretha, both from South Africa, were among those receiving citizenship. The couple are now applying on behalf of their son Charl (9). Francois, an electrical engineer, has been employed by ESBI since 2002 and is currently working on the Millennium Challenge Account - Tanzania. one good meal a week!’ Patrick’s first assignment in Bahrain was with the order / invoice unit of the Bahrain state electricity Dijohn Morgan, Aidan kilkenny and rectorate and he later worked with a colonies of ants, cockroaches and team that developed and managed a lizards! multi-element billing, collection and For Patrick, working away from information system for electricity, home brought with it a feeling of be- Water and Municipality property ing part of an ‘esB family’ where he rates charges. this led to another says, the phrase ‘Ni Neart go chur assignment working with the Mule cheile’ reflected the esB ethos. nicipalities, where he stayed until his ‘When Frank Malin [Head of Ac- retirement from esB in 1999. counts at esB] came out to review In 2007, he returned to Bahrain to progress in Bahrain with Charlie support the transition of the MinisLee, he became frank rather than try of electricity and Water from a ‘Mr. Malin’ as he was back home, ministerial body to an authority. and his visits would culminate with since then, he has continued to work a night out for the team at the BAP- for eWA and is proud of what the CO Club in Awali. We also played organisation has achieved. ‘In 2009, the bachelor card well and evoked eWA became the first Bahraini orgreat sympathy from the esB fami- ganization to be inducted into the lies, who made sure we got at least Palladium Hall of Fame awards 2009 in recognition for improvements made on key performance areas including customer service’. esBI’s involvement in Bahrain has had a very positive impact on people from both islands, he says. ‘Within days of arriving in Bahrain, ray Mcelroy introduced me to his friend, a Bahraini manager of the Commercial Department named Jaffer alGassab. It was in Jaffer’s office that I first tasted chai lumi, a lemon tea with special flavouring. the ritual of tea/ coffee drinking with friends elevates friendship to the fore in all transactions between individuals. It occurs in the homes, the offices, the market place and for me it symbolizes the wonderful hospitality of Bahrainis. It’s something I could greatly miss away from Bahrain. n http://www.esb.ie/em

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of EM - August/September 2011

EM - August/September 2011
In This Issue
News
Services & ESB Electric Ireland
ESB Networks Ltd
ESB Energy International
Health & Habitat
Life

EM - August/September 2011