As events are under way across the nation to celebrate Engineer’s Week, which is Ireland’s largest celebration of the engineering profession, Ferns native, John Milne, shares his experience of university, his family farm in Co. Wexford and his internship at EirGrid, the operator and developer of Ireland’s electricity grid.
Having completed his Leaving Certificate in FCJ Secondary School in Bunclody in 2021, John gained a place in an inclusive master’s degree in energy system engineering, at University College Dublin. Now in his fourth year, the talented student is completing an eight-month internship with the transmission system operator.
“I am currently working as part of EirGrid’s power systems planning team. In a nutshell, this team’s work involves assessing the best connection methods for new generation and then perform studies to see how new generation effects the power flows on the grid and is there enough capacity at specific stations or lines to connect the generation. The team also looks at how the grid needs to develop to accommodate the increasing demand for electricity,” John said.
“There is such a wide range of interesting challenges regarding alternative energy sources, from generation to curtailment and long-term storage, to grid connections and infrastructure upgrades. It’s very interesting, and it’s great to be applying everything from my course into real-world scenarios,” he added.
John admits that this interest in problem-solving and practical subjects stemmed from his involvement in his family’s farm throughout his life. When it came to career choices, he knew engineering was the right choice for him: “I grew up on a Tillage farm in Wexford, which my family has farmed for about 200 years.”
“They often talk of famers not just being farmers, but also mechanics, project managers, engineers and accountants all in one,” he continued. “I guess I found an interest in the engineering side of farming. I would have always been around machines such as tractors, combines or loaders and constantly surrounded by the thoughts of how things work and finding solutions to real life problems.
“Without probably knowing at the time, I was developing skills widely used in engineering, planning and project management,” John said.
Now two months into his internship with EirGrid, John is supporting Ireland’s transition to a cleaner energy future and reaching the nation’s climate targets. He went on to explain that “EirGrid is at the forefront of the Irish energy sector, which is undergoing a revolutionary change to ensure eighty percent of our electricity comes from renewable sources. Offshore wind, transmission station upgrades, development, maintenance and future planning are all key in securing a net zero future.”
“Picking an engineering course has opened my eyes to the possibilities available to me to take an active part in creating solutions and being more aware of climate change and what can be done now and going forward to deal with the emerging challenges,” he said.