Gaetano Degrazia
When did you join Natural Power?
I joined Natural Power on 13th January 2025, where I was able to bring 15 years of experience in the housing and commercial construction industry, both as a contractor and as a consultant.
What does your role entail?
The role of a construction project manager is never monotonous. It encompasses all the various phases of a project's lifecycle, evolving and adapting according to its development stage. This year, I have participated in projects in the pre-planning, pre-construction, and construction phases, collaborating with teams from Ireland, the UK, and France.
I prepared, reviewed, and submitted various documentation, including tender documents and employer’s requirements. Additionally, I have worked on writing tenders and selecting companies to execute projects. Moreover, part of my job involved visiting construction sites for PV and wind farms, reporting progress, coordinating the various companies involved, and arranging payments as per contractual agreements. I have participated in and chaired meetings both on-site and remotely. Lately, I've really enjoyed focusing on the development of large energy storage projects in Italy.
What are the most rewarding and challenging parts of your role?
The role of the PM is a lot about communication: you must interact proactively with clients, contractors and other project stakeholders, managing interfaces of complex and challenging renewable energy projects.
The most challenging aspect is likely to be consistently maintaining smooth and effective communication between all parties, even when problems and unexpected issues arise. The most rewarding part is finally seeing the efforts of many months or years of work come to life and knowing that this positively contributes to our impact on the environment and communities. This gives meaning and pride to your efforts.
What is the most interesting project you have undertaken and why?
I think the most interesting project I've worked on so far has been one of Ireland's most spectacular wind farms, Cushaling. Read more about the project here: Natural Power supports Statkraft’s landmark Cushaling Wind Farm and BESS go live). Here, I had the opportunity to delve into all the technical and professional aspects typical of these structures. Joining the project at the final construction phase, just before energisation, was quite challenging. Everything seemed to unfold in a frenetic manner, but thanks to the wonderful people involved, I managed to gain significant professional growth and a fantastic experience.
Provide a hidden talent or quirky fact about yourself!
I take pleasure in luthiery, where I dismantle and reassemble guitars and basses, enhancing them to elevate budget instruments to professional quality.