HighLight 55 - DNV Kema

New HPL head
HPL has a new leader
There’s someone new in charge at DNV KEMA’s High-Power Laboratory (HPL) in
Arnhem, the Netherlands. Shankar Subramany has replaced Joop Hooijmans
as General Manager. But as a customer, you may not have noticed. Because
for the last few months, the two have been working alongside each other
in the role to ensure a seamless transition.
Joop has been successfully leading the
HPL for the last five years. During his
time, the HPL doubled its volume of
tests – an achievement he puts down to
the dedication and expertise of his team.
“Everyone here is committed to driving the
industry forward. The testing we provide
helps our customers deliver safe and
reliable components for T&D networks,” he
explains.
Following that success will be a challenge.
But in Shankar, DNV KEMA has found
the right person for the job. Shankar’s
wealth of experience began at India’s
Central Power Research Institute (CPRI)
in Bangalore, where he helped establish
a high-power lab. He then spent 15 years
at the SATS High Power Laboratory
in Sweden, as a test engineer and then
manager. “This position in Arnhem is the
high point of my career. The DNV KEMA
HPL has established itself as the world’s
leading high power test facility,” says
Shankar.
Ready for the future
Both men agree that now is an exciting
time for the T&D industry. “Things are
going very fast in places like China, India,
Russia and Brazil. Meanwhile, more
developed markets will need to replace
their ageing equipment, once the money is
available,” explains Joop. “So there will be
a huge demand for manufacturers around
the world to develop and deliver reliable
components – and reliability requires
testing.”
At the same time, the rise of super grids
is leading to new component categories
and hence new testing requirements. “And
our customers are under increasing time
pressure, as project deadlines and product
development cycles get ever shorter,” adds
Shankar.
Responding to these trends, DNV KEMA
is investing 70 million Euros to expand
capacity and the range of tests available
at the HPL. “HPL’s history is built on the
continuous development of test facilities
to meet customers’ needs. The current
expansion continues that story. We are
increasing capacity by over 50% and
putting even greater focus on quality of
service to reduce test waiting times and
help our customers develop new products
faster. I’m personally very excited to be part
of that process,” Shankar concludes.
HighLight | August 2013 | 3