Roles and Responsibilities of an Instrumentation Engineer in a Biomass Power Plant

An Instrumentation Engineer in a biomass power plant is responsible for the design, installation, operation, maintenance, calibration, and optimization of all instrumentation and control systems that ensure safe, productive, and reliable plant operation.

1. Instrumentation Maintenance and Calibration

- Maintain and calibrate field instruments such as:
- Pressure transmitters
- Temperature sensors (RTD, Thermocouples)
- Flow meters
- Level transmitters
- Analyzers (O₂, CO, pH, conductivity, etc.)
- Develop and implement preventive maintenance schedules.
- Troubleshoot instrument failures and ensure minimum downtime.
- Maintain calibration records and certificates.

2. Control System Operation and Maintenance

- Monitor and maintain:
- DCS (Distributed Control System)
- PLC (Programmable Logic Controller)
- SCADA systems
- HMI interfaces
- Modify control logic when required.
- Diagnose and rectify communication network issues between field devices and control systems.

3. Boiler and Combustion Control

- Monitor biomass boiler instrumentation and combustion parameters.
- Ensure proper functioning of:
- Furnace pressure controls
- Fuel feeding systems
- Air-fuel ratio controls
- Steam temperature and pressure control loops
- Optimize combustion efficiency and reduce emissions.

4. Turbine and Generator Instrumentation

- Monitor turbine control systems.
- Maintain:
- Speed control systems
- Vibration monitoring systems
- Bearing temperature monitoring
- Generator protection instrumentation
- Support turbine startup and shutdown activities.

5. Process Optimization

- Analyze process trends and plant performance data.
- Improve:
- Boiler efficiency
- Steam generation efficiency
- Fuel consumption
- Energy output
- Recommend control loop tuning and process improvements.

6. Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS)

- Ensure reliability of safety shutdown systems.
- Conduct testing of:




- Emergency Shutdown Systems (ESD)
- Fire and gas detection systems
- Interlock systems
- Critical alarms
- Participate in HAZOP and risk assessment studies.

7. Environmental Monitoring

- Maintain Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (CEMS).
- Monitor:
- Stack emissions
- Oxygen levels
- Dust and particulate emissions
- Water treatment instrumentation
- Ensure compliance with environmental regulations.

8. Project and Commissioning Activities

- Participate in installation and commissioning of new instruments and control systems.
- Review:
- P&IDs;
- Instrument datasheets
- Control narratives
- Loop diagrams
- Conduct Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) and Site Acceptance Test (SAT).

9. Documentation and Reporting

- Maintain:
- Instrument index
- Calibration records
- Loop drawings
- Cable schedules
- Maintenance logs
- Prepare technical reports and failure analysis reports.

10. Vendor and Contractor Coordination

- Coordinate with vendors for instrument repairs and upgrades.
- Supervise contractor activities during shutdowns and projects.
- Verify quality and compliance of installed equipment.

Key Instruments Typically Handled in a Biomass Power Plant

- Pressure Transmitters (PT)
- Temperature Transmitters/RTDs/Thermocouples
- Flow Transmitters (FT)
- Level Transmitters (LT)
- Control Valves
- Vibration Sensors
- Boiler Drum Level Instruments
- Steam Pressure Instruments
- O₂ Analyzer
- pH and Conductivity Analyzers
- Turbine Supervisory Instruments
- Fire & Gas Detection Systems

Key Skills Required

- Experience in Sugar Factory
- Instrument Calibration
- Root Cause Analysis (RCA)
- Preventive and Predictive Maintenance
- Power Plant Process Knowledge
- Safety and Environmental Compliance

Pay: ₹25,000.00 - ₹50,000.00 per month

Application Question(s):

- Minimum 8 years of experience working in Power plant as an Instrumentation Manager

Education:

- Bachelor's (Preferred)

Experience:

- instrumentation engineer in Sugar Industry: 8 years (Preferred)

Work Location: In person

📌 Instrumentation Engineer (Belagavi)
🏢 Global Energy
📍 Belagavi