People Spotlight: Meet Jonathan Cox
Our People Spotlight series gives you an inside look at our technical experts around the world. This week, we are highlighting a principal engineer from our Environment, Water and Energy business in the United Kingdom and Ireland region and providing an insight into their inspiration and work.
Jonathan Cox is a chartered mechanical engineer and fellow at the Institute of Mechanical Engineers, and has over 25 years of experience in the hydropower industry delivering work in the UK, Nepal and more recently, parts of Africa.
What inspired you to join the industry?
I didn’t set out to be a hydropower engineer — hydropower engineering found me! That is a story too long for this article. I have always enjoyed maths, science, creativity in design, and problem-solving as an engineer, but mechanical engineering seemed to me the discipline that would allow most flexibility later in my career. I started off in the automobile industry and saw one model go from ‘clean sheet of paper’ to mass production in the Midlands, UK. Since then, I have worked in the renewable energy sector, mostly delivering hydropower projects. My introduction to hydropower was working for Nepal Hydro and Electric in Nepal.
I started off in the automobile industry and saw one model go from ‘clean sheet of paper’ to mass production in the Midlands, UK. Since then, I have worked in the renewable energy sector, mostly delivering hydropower projects.”
What is your favorite AECOM project that you’ve worked on and why?
The Amfilochia Pumped Storage Hydro project in Greece is one of my favourite projects for several reasons. As it is currently in the detailed design and construction phase, it is interesting to be involved with issues that affect the actual construction and configuration of this legacy project. I say legacy, as a project of this scale should be operational well into the 22nd century! Its significance is that it is one of the first in a wave of new pumped storage hydro projects that will facilitate the storage of energy (nominally 816GWh). These storage projects will enable the transition to fully renewable energy-based generation for the country’s grid.
The Amfilochia Pumped Storage Hydro project in Greece is one of my favourite projects. Its significance is that it is one of the first in a wave of new pumped storage hydro projects that will facilitate the storage of energy.”
Tell us a story of how your work positively impacted the community.
Clean sustainable, renewable energy — usually in ‘mains quality’ electrical form — has a positive community impact whatever the scale of the project. Some hydropower projects can be made a feature of multi-purpose dam projects. I am fortunate enough to have worked as the designer for the micro-hydro project retrofitted into the dam at Llys-y-frân Countryside Park in Pembrokeshire, Wales. I recommend visiting the park (whilst on a holiday in Pembrokeshire perhaps) to see the micro-hydro powerhouse building. It has also been most satisfying for me to have been involved with the projects for the charity Christian Engineers in Development; these projects are often ‘off-grid’ bringing power to a remote community.
I am fortunate enough to have worked as the designer for the micro-hydro project retrofitted into the dam at Llys-y-frân Countryside Park in Pembrokeshire, Wales. I recommend visiting the park (whilst on a holiday in Pembrokeshire perhaps) to see the micro-hydro powerhouse building.”
Share a piece of career advice.
Remember that you are on a journey. Try to leave the world a better place than the one you have inherited, whether that is investing in people, projects, the environment, or good values in society. Also, remember that your work fits into your life — not the other way round.