About this role
About the Company
Since its establishment in 2008, Mulilo has grown into one of South Africa’s leading Independent Power Producers (IPP). Mulilo is majority owned by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), with Norfund holding an additional investment through the Norwegian Climate Investment Fund.
Mulilo develops, constructs and operates utility scale wind, solar PV and battery energy storage projects across South Africa. The company currently operates 450 MW of wind and solar capacity, with a further 765 MW under construction. A portfolio exceeding 2 GW is advancing toward financial close, while the long-term development pipeline exceeds 30 GW.
Mulilo has concluded power purchase agreements under the South African government’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP), as well as private offtake agreements with several large corporate energy users.
Mulilo places significant emphasis on its people and recognises that successful infrastructure delivery depends on capable and committed teams. The company prides itself on providing a world-class working environment, with a clear focus on career progression and personal growth. Grounded in its values, Mulilo fosters a culture of accountability, collaboration and purpose, while remaining committed to its environmental, social and governance responsibilities.
About this role
The PV Technician II is responsible for executing all preventative and corrective maintenance on the solar plant in full compliance with HSE procedures. The role ensures maximum plant availability and performance ratio and includes performing root cause analyses as well as identifying and implementing plant optimisation projects under the guidance of the Site Manager.
Duties and responsibilities
• Plan, prepare for, manage and execute activities pertaining to Preventative Maintenance on the solar plant. Activities include, but are not limited to:
• Substation maintenance as per OEM maintenance schedule.
• Inverter station maintenance as per OEM maintenance schedule.
• General Junction Box (GJB) and/or String Combiner Box (SCB) and/or Array Junction Box (AJB) maintenance as per plant maintenance plan.
• Inspections as scheduled on substation, inverter, GJBs and/or SCBs and/or AJBs.
• Infrared scans of panels, AJBs, GJBs/SCBs, transformers and inverters as per plant maintenance plan.
• Inspect, test, diagnose and maintain CCTV system.
• Inspect, test, diagnose and maintain tracker system (if applicable to plant).
• Plan, prepare for, manage and execute activities pertaining to Corrective Maintenance on the solar plant. Activities include but are not limited to:
• Respond to all alarms triggered on the solar plant.
• Resolve all trips on the solar plant as soon as possible.
• Attend to all breakdowns, do fault finding/root cause analysis and resolve, fix or replace faulty equipment with minimal energy loss.
• Diagnose and replace PV panels.
• Diagnose, test, repair and/or replace cables, cable inter-connections, PV junction/string boxes, connectors and fuses in PV systems.
• Diagnose, test, repair and/or replace transformers.
• Diagnose, test repair and/or replace HV yard or connection centre equipment (as applicable to plant).
• Assist in the diagnosis, repair and/or replacement of switchgear.
• In conjunction with the Technical O&M Manager, apply root cause analysis techniques on all major and reoccurring faults.
• Investigate technical failures and give feedback to the Site Manager.
• Supervise and enforce contractors’ compliance with HSE.
• Maintain the permit-to-work system and perform risk assessments.
• If appointed to perform high voltage operations as per ORHVS, to interact with Eskom Control.
• Record-keeping and management of spare part movements.
• Report significant events to Site Manager, Plant Manager and HSSE Manager.
• Complete Job card upon troubleshooting and or repairs.
• Any other duties, as assigned by the Site Manager or Plant Manager, in line with the role.
Required skills and education background.
• Minimum of an N3 (or NQF equivalent) with electrical subjects is required.
• Sungrow experience advantageous.
• Red Seal qualification required (Electrician).
• Minimum 5 years’ utility experience in power plant or industry experience, with at least two years’ relevant PV plant experience.
• Experience in switching LV, MV and HV systems is required (Operator & Controller duties).
• Have basic working knowledge of cable management.
• Experience with lock-out tag-out procedures.
• Working knowledge of power system protection.
• Working knowledge of SCADA monitoring.
• Able to read and interpret single line diagrams and schematics.
• Able to troubleshoot and analyse data including following various types of process charts, schematics and single line diagrams.
• Have a good understanding of an integrated system.
• Good verbal communication skills, in English. Ability to converse in Afrikaans is an advantage.
• Good written communication skills in English, including clear, concise emails and able to complete standardised technical reports e.g. risk assessment reports.
• Good team player; able to balance team and individual responsibilities.
• Good self-management ability including being able to prioritise work tasks and work effectively under limited supervision.
Desirable attributes
The ideal candidate would have a passion for the Renewable Energy sector and personality traits would include a high level of diligence, determination, resilience, and agility.
Mulilo is an employer of choice and is offering an extremely competitive total remuneration package for this position.
Additional Information
Able to work overtime according to operational needs.
The position is based at the solar plant site of the company, but local travel will be required occasionally.