* Author: Lorena Tremps Bolsa *
I still have vivid memories of the day the award ceremony for the Fundación Iberdrola scholarships for the 2013-2014 academic year was held in July 2013 and of how excited the 73 recipients were as we prepared to embark on a new stage in our lives. In my case, I chose to study the Master’s in Renewable Energies and Environment at the Polytechnic University of Madrid, a qualification that has given me a general overview of the various renewable generation technologies.
As the winner of one of the scholarships, I was also entitled to complete an internship in the Iberdrola Group; more specifically in the Renewables business, in the Offshore Wind Power department with the Operation & Maintenance (O&M) team. Over the course of this five-month internship, I carried out a varied range of tasks for the team, from helping to decide on the best logistics solutions for O&M, to drafting a Guide to O&M on Offshore Foundations, as well as various other tasks providing general support to the team. I was also given the chance to complete my Master’s project on O&M at offshore wind farms, with access to basic know-how and the tools needed to write it.
This experience has given me first-hand insight into the offshore industry, which I find very interesting because of its innovative profile and technological complexity, from the perspective of a leading company like Iberdrola. Given the international aspect of these projects, I was part of a multicultural team working remotely via the medium of English, something that has also boosted my professional development. During my internship I was considered another member of the team working on the tasks on a daily basis, which was a very enriching experience for me on a personal level.
As far as my contribution is concerned, I believe that I added my grain of sand by implementing my technical knowledge in the field of civil engineering, as well as all the support tasks that I carried out over the course of these months. I also hope that I showed eagerness to learn, initiative and a proactive attitude, as well as a high level of commitment to all the tasks completed.
All in all, my overall assessment of the experience is entirely positive; all my expectations were met in full and even exceeded, in every possible sense. For me this stage in my training was an unforgettable experience that has enabled me to grow on a personal and professional level.
Having said that, I would like to express my gratitude to my mentor, Francisco de Castro, and by extension, to the whole O&M team for their time and dedication in contributing towards my training on all levels. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the Fundación Iberdrola for having believed in me and granted me such a prestigious and highly-regarded scholarship. Finally, I would like to thank all my colleagues in the department for making me feel like another member of the team from the first day. I have to say that one of Iberdrola’s greatest assets is the high calibre of its human capital.
