Andrew’s grabbing opportunities with both hands
At home, Production Superintendent Andrew enjoys adventures with his young family and likes to keep his 1967 split screen Kombi ‘Bert’ ticking over. While at work, he is part of the team responsible for keeping CleanCo’s lower emission gas-fired combine cycle power station at Swanbank running smoothly.
Andrew first worked at Swanbank as an Electrical Contractor. In 2017 he was part of a team supporting Swanbank E’s return to service after a 3-year closure. The work proved interesting and Andrew was offered a role with Stanwell Corporation, which operated the site at the time.
Building a career
Andrew has continued building his career with CleanCo. He has built his skillset by completing an instrumentation trade, holding a safety representative role and performing relief maintainer operator responsibilities, including obtaining an Advanced Boiler and Steam Turbine Operation High Risk Work License.
In 2021 he moved fulltime into the Production team, where he received emergency response and panel training on E station, giving him the technical capability to “drive” the power station. Andrew formally became the Production Superintendent at Swanbank early in 2023.
While building his technical skills, Andrew has also taken the opportunity to grow his leadership capabilities, completing in-house development programs and being mentored by senior CleanCo leaders.
He recently had an opportunity to act in the role of Kareeya Hydro Power Station Site Manger in North Queensland over five months.
“My opportunity at Kareeya was such an valuable experience for me personally. I loved learning about the site and more importantly, getting to know the site team who keep the station a reliable and safe asset, all while performing the work within a World Heritage rainforest – it was impressive!”
Now back in the Swanbank Production role, Andrew is also providing leadership to the CleanCo Environmental team.
“Learning about the E-Team and the work going on across the business as we mature the foundation of our environmental stewardship has been very exciting.”
No typical day
So what does a typical day look like for Andrew? Well, there is no typical day and that’s one of the things he loves about his role!
“Firstly, the Swanbank operations team are such a highly skilled group. It’s a privilege to lead and be part of the team. It’s incredible to see how well we collectively work with the full site team and support teams to continuously improve the asset and overcome plant issues. Our focus is always on keeping the unit safe while adapting to our trading team’s objectives.
“On a daily basis I could be engaging with our community, coordinating staff rostering, delivering projects, assisting in the coordination of planned and breakdown maintenance for the power station, or making sure the site is meeting its environmental obligations,” he says.
Andrew works closely with CleanCo’s energy trading team to adjust the operation of Swanbank E in response to national electricity market demands.
“It’s a fast-paced environment that requires a lot of quick thinking and problem solving,” he said.
Commitment to safety
Andrew appreciates CleanCo’s strong safety culture.
“Safety is embedded in everything we do and that’s important to me. Working in a high-risk environment, it’s reassuring to know that CleanCo is committed to ensuring the safety of our team.”
Andrew is also an advocate for mental health, through the sector’s Mates in Energy network. He has completed ‘connector’ training, which enables him to support colleagues who are experiencing mental health issues and connect them with appropriate supports.
“I feel very fortunate to work in such a dynamic and inclusive organisation,” Andrew said. “We have a great team here at Swanbank and there are lots of opportunities to learn and grow. It’s a really supportive working environment.”