Welcoming Suzan Mentink
This year, we are delighted to welcome Suzan Mentink to our team. With 30 years of experience in IT and 16 years of experience in power systems at Transmission System Operator TenneT, she brings a wealth of unique expertise. What is her experience with the Energy Systems and Control Room of the Future? And how will she help advance this transformation across Europe?
Suzan, can you tell us about your professional background?
After graduating from Wageningen University in 1993, I was eager to work in sustainability – a rather niche field at the time. I began working for a wind energy cooperative, focusing on stakeholder management. This involved collaborating with municipalities and distribution system operators to establish wind farm cooperatives with farmers. Before long, I made a career switch to IT, which proved to be the right decision. Sixteen years ago, I joined the Dutch TSO, TenneT, where I found the perfect opportunity to combine my passion for IT with working on the bigger picture: creating a sustainable and secure energy system.
What were your experiences at TenneT?
At TenneT, I started as an IT advisor and soon moved into leadership roles, initially focusing on the Netherlands and later expanding to oversee both Dutch and German teams. We tackled projects such as replacing a legacy system with an agile-developed system based on a service-oriented architecture. Over the years, we delivered numerous changes in transmission and system services, such as XBID, CGMES, and Core Flow-Based Market Coupling, both in the Netherlands and Germany. Another key project I worked on was preparing to replace a mission-critical EMS/SCADA platform.
What is the common thread in all this?
The worlds of IT and power systems are increasingly interconnected, and at TenneT, we worked intensively on the Control Room of the Future concept, which bridges these domains. The Control Room of the Future is a blueprint designed to prepare the grid for a sustainable future dominated by renewable energy sources, using advanced digital technologies. Renewables like wind and solar power not only bring increased volatility to the grid but also behave differently, creating significant challenges. These changes demand closer grid monitoring and management. For example, instead of monitoring every four seconds, we need real-time monitoring in milliseconds’ accuracy. This represents a fundamental shift for any TSO.
Why did you decide to move into consulting and join Magnus Energy?
I have a passion for building teams and working on innovative topics. When I saw that Magnus Energy was expanding its Business & Technology Consulting team, I recognised a great opportunity for growth. Additionally, I wanted to broaden my horizon, work on a more international level, and share my experiences with the Energy System and Control Room of the Future across Europe.
Learn more?
Please get in touch with Suzan Mentink directly or take a look at our Business & Technology Services.