Raymond Hofman

What do your duties consist of?

'As senior mechanical engineer I coordinate the control room team and the operation of the power plants at the Utrecht, Diemen and Almere locations. Together with the control room team I am responsible for the production of electricity and heat.'

'To guarantee the delivery of electricity and heat 24/7, 365 days a year, we work with five control room team on continuous shifts. My role in this is to make a day-ahead forecast of the delivery of heat to the district heating network of Utrecht and Nieuwegein and to decide how the units are to be deployed so as to guarantee the delivery of heat to customers.'

What makes you most enthusiastic about working for Vattenfall/Nuon?

'Being responsible for guaranteeing the delivery of electricity and heat with a high degree of availability and reliability. We do this by solving interruptions as painstakingly as possible so as to avoid repeat occurrences.'

What do you enjoy most in your work?

'I really like the variable nature of the work. The situation and possibilities of the units in the market are different each day. If a malfunction occurs, the right action must be taken. At such a moment you have to know precisely what needs to be done to avoid putting the supply of electricity and heat at risk.'

What do you consider most important for ensuring that your work will produce good results?

'The most important element for achieving good results is to create a safe working environment and the highest possible availability and reliability of the units. You do so by discovering the exact nature of the faults that have occurred and then resolving them in such a way as to prevent them from happening again. You also have to set priorities in the work so as to meet the demand for electricity and heat.'

What do you think is the great benefit of working at Vattenfall/Nuon?

'I regard the opportunities that are created, by offering education and training courses, to grow within the company as a major benefit. Consequently, you have the chance of going further if you know what you are capable of.'