I have always liked challenging myself.

I became an engineer not just because I loved figuring out how things work, but to prove I could succeed in a male-dominated field. Thankfully, things are more gender-balanced than they were ten years ago.

My passion for engineering led me to a scholarship from SP Group, where I had the opportunity to explore and work with different stakeholders throughout Singapore’s energy system, from network equipment maintenance to electrical installation testing and inspection.

After a decade in SP Group, I was ready for a radical change and decided to try working on the policy and planning side of the energy sector. 

I was initially offered a regulatory position as well as a planning role within EMA. I accepted the planning role to see just how far I could push myself in unfamiliar territory.

Switching careers and starting from scratch at EMA was a big risk, however I knew that if I did not try now, I might not get another opportunity like this again. The learning curve was steep, but I knew that is where my biggest opportunities lay.

I currently work in EMA’s Strategic Land Planning arm. As Singapore plans to import electricity from neighbouring countries via subsea cables, we will need land and new infrastructure. My job is to optimise land take so we can build our energy infrastructure to fit within Singapore’s limited land and sea space.

My team and I liaise with government agencies and private developers to deconflict and coordinate developments in areas where we plan to connect subsea and land cables to substations.

The same coastal land plots are often sought-after by multiple agencies for competing uses, so we must find ways to prioritise, co-locate, or optimise space. This could mean locating our infrastructure underground wherever feasible, or stacking infrastructure and services on top of one another.

In our land planning process, we consider agencies’ concerns such as environmental impact, as well as noise and air pollution buffers for residential areas, schools, hospitals, etc. Minimising setback distances matters, because poor planning can leave behind unusable slivers of land.

Land planning is challenging because the predictive decisions we make today will affect future generations. Stakeholders with different priorities may also not be able to fully appreciate the thought process behind our decisions.

But like I said, I enjoy challenging myself.

Being part of EMA’s Strategic Land Planning team has pushed me to become more flexible when it comes to working with others, because of the dynamic nature of the job.

I appreciate that EMA also extends me some flexibility as a working parent with two young children. There are usually clear timelines and expectations; as long as deliverables are met in a timely manner, work arrangements can be flexible.

I sometimes reflect on the fact that the projects I’m working on might only be realised when my kids have already become adults.

I cannot wait to see that future, especially knowing I played a part in shaping it.