International Control Room Week: 26 October–1 November 2026
As renewable energy portfolios grow and the electricity system becomes more complex, the skills required to manage assets safely and effectively are evolving. While technology, automation and digital systems are transforming control room operations, their success still depends on the people using them.
At Natural Power, the ControlCentre provides round-the-clock operational support for renewable energy assets, helping to coordinate site activities, maintain electrical safety and support compliance with grid requirements. Delivering this service requires more than technical knowledge. Operators must also demonstrate sound judgement, situational awareness, clear communication and the ability to make decisions under pressure.
Investing in people is therefore as important as investing in technology. As the ControlCentre’s portfolio expands across renewable generation and energy storage, ongoing training and competency development help ensure the team can adapt to changing operational demands, procedures and technologies.
Learning from aviation to strengthen safety
Recognising the importance of human factors in safety-critical environments, Natural Power recently arranged for all 34 ControlCentre staff to undertake Omega Training Solutions’ two-day Safety In Mind course at The Greenhouse in Castle Douglas.
Developed from research and experience in the aviation industry, the course explores how human error can contribute to incidents, even when technical training and equipment maintenance are well established. Aviation’s response has included making non-technical skills training a mandatory part of pilot training, with lessons that can also benefit other safety-critical professions.
Dick Stark, Director at Omega Training Solutions, said: “Using our experience as training captains and having written and delivered non-technical courses for airlines, we developed ‘Safety In Mind’. The objective being to help other safety-critical industries learn from aviation to help reduce the chance of an operator error leading to an incident or accident. By discussing errors from many industries during the course, we highlight that the type of errors we all make as humans are the same; it is the context that leads to the consequence.”
The programme examines situational awareness, decision-making, behaviour, personality, fatigue, working under pressure, resilience, teamwork and communication. Crucially, it moves beyond theory, providing participants practical behavioural strategies to apply in their own working environments to help reduce the likelihood of errors and strengthen resilience.
Developing the expertise to keep the grid stable
To further strengthen the team’s technical knowledge, ControlCentre staff also completed MIL Grid System Services’ Grid System Operationtraining. The course explored the fundamental principles and physics underpinning the electricity grid, tracing the journey from generation through transmission and distribution networks to the end consumer.
Covering both foundational concepts and more advanced topics, the training examined how power stations generate electricity, the factors influencing grid frequency and voltage, and the distinction between real and reactive power. It also explored more complex areas of system operation, including steady-state and dynamic stability, phase angle and power angle, and black start recovery.
Milorad Dobrijevic, Managing Director at MIL Grid System Services, said: “The Spanish electricity blackout in April 2025 highlighted how quickly a modern 21st-century grid system can become unstable and collapse. The consequences of this occurring in the UK would be unimaginable.
“Ensuring that the network, and the people designing, constructing and especially operating it, are trained to the highest standards is essential to the day-to-day operation of our electricity system. The best black start recovery plan for the UK is never to need one in the first place. Well-trained, knowledgeable staff are key to achieving this.”
Building capability for the future
This focus on human factors complements Natural Power’s structured training pathways for its ControlCentre team, alongside continued learning and upskilling as the facility continues to evolve to meet market requirements.
Automation and digital tools can help operators manage increasing volumes of information, monitor assets and respond to changing conditions. However, technology cannot remove the need for human accountability, critical thinking and effective collaboration. Recognising when something is wrong, understanding the wider operational context and communicating clearly remain essential.
By investing in technical competence and the human skills that underpin safe decision-making, Natural Power is strengthening the capability of its ControlCentre team for the challenges ahead.
As the energy transition gathers pace, developing and retaining skilled people will be fundamental to delivering safe, reliable and effective renewable energy operations.