“This project brought out the best in Elia”
Nemo Link through the eyes of Corneel, site manager
Nemo Link connected the high-voltage grids of Belgium and the United Kingdom. A massive project involving more than 50 contractors and subcontractors from different countries. As site manager, Corneel helped ensure that everyone could work together under the best possible conditions.
I worked very closely with Siemens, who built the converters: ensuring that the work delivered met the required quality standards; challenging them in terms of implementing the plans; making sure we hit every milestone, because only then could we proceed to the next step.
From the very first meeting on-site, we decided that creating a good working atmosphere was a priority. It’s also necessary for successfully completing a project lasting more than two years and involving so many different stakeholders and cultures, and doing so under conditions that are pleasant for everyone.
It's often the little things that count: making sure you can park properly when you arrive; making sure you can sit down comfortably during breaks; and even making sure there were coffee cakes to snack on during important consultation meetings. All that helped to create a relaxed and open atmosphere and better meetings.
Because when something goes wrong – and that can happen in large projects – it is important not to point fingers, but to work together to look for solutions. Positivity is contagious. This way of working, which is very specific to Elia, was adopted by the other stakeholders involved.
And it also made all those clever minds and skillful hands even stronger. I think it was really the key to the project’s success. This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I already had 20 years of experience, which I was able to leverage and deploy.
When I look back on the project I feel great – and proud to have helped put a Belgian company on the international map. And also very moved when, weeks after the project was finished, everyone got together – from crane operator to CEO – to raise a glass and toast our success.
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