Rafael E.

Mejias
Lake Charles, LA
Power Electrical Engineer, M.Sc.

KEY QUALIFICATIONS:
Rafael Mejias is a Power Electrical Engineer with a Master of Science degree in power electrical
engineering (Power System). For over 25 years, Mr. Mejias has provided technical designs on
Transmission and Distribution (T&D) engineering on brownfield and greenfield projects for Energy
Companies, Electric Utilities, governments, regulators, independent project developers, and the financial
community, in domestic as well as international assignments in the power industry. He brings to bear
extensive knowledge of power systems construction, planning and utility operations combined with
rigorous academic training in engineering. Mr. Mejias has worked throughout the world in the power
industry, including power plant generation, T&D; combining his technical expertise with his large
experience in USA and Latin-America. Mr. Mejías is bilingual, English and Spanish, with USA citizenship,
ready to travel and being relocated, on any US’ state or any LatAm country.

SKILLS
• T&D Engineering, Construction & Commissioning
• Work Print for Designers
• Scope of Work for T&D Projects
• Main One Line Diagrams
• T&D layouts, Plant and Transversal Views
• General understanding on Mechanical, Structural and Civil Engineering T&D
• Constructability and T&D Machinery
• Experiences on all T&D Components, Towers, Cables, Structural supports
• Experience on 11kV, 13.8kV, 21kV, 34.5kV, 69kV, 115kV, 138kV 230KV, 345kV, 400kV, 500kV,
550kV and 765kV
• Standards NEPA, NEMA, ASTM, ANSI, NEC, NBS, NESC, etc

EDUCATION:
• Power System Engineering Course (1 year), General Electric, Schenectady, NY, USA.
• Master in Science in Electrical Engineering (2 years), Transmission & Power Substation Systems,
Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela.
• B.S., Power Electrical Engineering (5 years), Universidad Simón Bolívar, Caracas, Venezuela.

EMPLOYMENT RECORD:
Commissioning Manager Jan 2018 to Dec 2019
Sasol Petrochemical Plant AESCIT/Technip (Transmission Lines & Substations)
Lake Charles, LA, USA

T&D Power Consultant, Management Consultancy International LLC July 2013 to March 2017
Quito, Ecuador - Houston, Texas, USA

T&D Power Engineering Jan 2000 to Jul 2013

CBI International Consultants (Former Shaw Consultants and Stone & Webster Management
Consultants, Inc.) Houston, Texas, USA
T&D Manager, Montalec, C.A., Caracas, Venezuela Jan 2000 to Dec 2000

AERIAL & UNDERGROUND TRANSMISSION SYSTEM

• 200 MW Petrochemical & 230/69/13.8/4.16 kV Substations. Working as an AESCIT Contractor
for Technipfmc & Fluor Joint Venture for L2CC Sasol Project, Mr. Mejias participated as a Leader in
charge of the Power Transmission & Substations Pre-commissioning, Commissioning and Field Engineer
on a 200MW Plant including 230 kV TL and 69/13.8 kV underground TL to supply power for a Mega
Project in Westlake, LA; developed by SASOL North America. During this assignment, Mr. Mejias
oversees the Pre- commissioning, Commissioning and field engineering in the L2CC Plant.
• Responsible for coordinating and managing pre-commissioning, commissioning, field
engineering, and turnover to the Client
• Assisting Project Managers / Project Leads with implementation and compliance with Energy
Contractor Safety Program requirements.
• Responsible to monitor Testing according to the approved schedule, informing about any
deviation regarding to milestones.
• Participating in daily planning activities including presentations of safety updates at scheduled
project safety meetings.
• Mr. Mejias supervised work quality and safety performance on the project, participating in
meeting to evaluate any outstanding issues.
• Monitoring and direct supervision through site inspection of planned work, validating
acceptance of completed work to design requirements, analyzing and solving constructability issues,
ensuring right resource allocations, and providing reports to high level managers.
• Providing leadership and coaching to Testing Supervisors evaluating the general compliance with
schedules and Milestones.
• Mr. Mejias provided technical solution as field engineer to solve issues during construction
work, leading meeting to evaluate solve and present real-time response to outstanding issues.

TRANSMISSION AND SUBSTATION ASSIGNMENTS

• 500KV Interconnection Project Ecuador (IPE)
Independent technical review of IEP, a transmission system crossing the entire country which
interconnects the bulk transmission systems of CELEC in Ecuador. It comprises a 500-kV, 602 Km
transmission lines, four 500 kV substations, and related equipment. This Transmission System also
includes 287 Km of 230kV transmission lines and three 230kV Substations. The assignment included
review of technical design and constructability issues.
• Eastern Interconnection Project (EIP). USA.
Independent technical review of EIP, a transmission line in eastern New Mexico which interconnects the
bulk transmission systems of Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM) and Southwestern Public
Service Company (SPS). It comprises a 345-kV, 216-mile transmission line, two 345 kV substations, and
related equipment. One of these substations (i.e., SPS’ Blackwater) is a 345 kV to 230 kV, 200 MW,
“back-to-back” AC/DC/AC converter station.

• 345kV Cross Texas Transmission System Technical Review USA.

Gray Substation, located approximately three miles southwest of Lefors, Texas in Texas. The assignment
included the technical specification review for equipment. Also, the Gray to Tesla Line, a 109 mile 345 kV
double-circuit was included. Similarly, the assignment included the 345kV TL & Tesla Substation, located
in Childress County, Texas.

• Robinson Summit Technical Review USA.

The Robinson Summit Substation, a 500/345 kV substation, was included in this assignment. Including
equipment, construction facilities, structures, installed approximately 18 miles northwest of Ely, Nevada.
• The Loring Boston Transmission Project.
Included the expandability of the K-Street substation in Boston to receive the two 345 kV Lines from
Boston Converter Station. Also included the design of the 345kV switchyard in Loring with Breaker and
Half configuration. Also, it was included a review of 69kV TLs System Configuration.

• 400kV Tuxpan TLs & Substation Technical Review Mexico.

Tuxpan TLs System located close to Veracruz, was included in this assignment. The technical
specification review for equipment was performed. The Scheduling and constructability also were
performed.

• 60kV TL & SS – SF6 Substation for Balashi Power Plant. Aruba. The assignment included the
review of the design, scope of work, bill of materials, engineering, and reasonability of scheduling &
constructability of the 60kV TL & SF6 encapsulated Substation.

• Several TLs & Substation for Power Plants. Pakistan. The assignments included the review of
the design, scope of work, bill of materials, engineering, and reasonability of scheduling &
constructability of the several TLs and power Substation.

• Paraguana Petrochemical Complex. The assignment included the TLs & Substation Basis of
Design, which were to be used to establish the design data required for the development of the design
of the Power TLs and Substation in the engineering phase.

• Evaluation of interconnection 765kV options between EdeC (serving the city of Caracas), and
EDELCA, a large hydroelectric producer. The assignment involved technical design of four (04) large
765kV substations, and Transmission Lines designs as well as carrying out technical review of equipment
specifications and constructability issues.

• Technical design of a 400 kV TL and substation (“La Canoa”),

Designed to supply power to the oil fields in eastern Venezuela. Technical and operational activities
were carried out to develop the technical specifications, scope of work, bill of materials, engineering,
work prints for substation layout (400 kV and 230 kV). Further, as part of this assignment, it was also
included the construction supervision.

• Transmission lines expansion of a 115 kV network.

Technical design was carried out to develop the technical specifications, scope of work, bill of materials,
engineering, work prints for substation layout. Further, the construction supervision was also included.

• Transmission Line Interconnection project between Venezuela and Brazil.

Technical design was carried out to develop the technical specifications, scope of work, bill of materials,
engineering, work prints for substation layout. Further, the construction supervision was also included.

• Transmission System and Substations 765 kV, 400 kV and 230 kV.
Technical design was carried out to develop the technical specifications, scope of work, bill of materials,
engineering, work prints for transmission lines and substation layout; for the reinforcement of the
transmission system between the central and the western regions of the Venezuelan power system.
  Review of design for short transmission interconnection using XLPE Cables.
As part of this assignment, were elaborated the technical specifications for a 115 kV underground cable
to connect a hydro power plant to the grid.

• Expansion study for the Santa Teresa 400 kV transmission line & substation in Venezuela.
This assignment produced the preliminary specifications for the expansion, including the recommended
solution to several physical problems produced by the crowding of the land around the substation.

• Technical design review of the 115/34.5/13.8 kV transmission lines and substations for Oil
Company in Venezuela.
This task involved the design review of several transmission lines and equipment of 115/34.5/13.8 kV
substations, lines, feeders, CTs, PTs, CVTs, Circuit Breakers and power transformers. It also included the
verification and adjustment of protections (including short circuit studies), as well as voltage drop
studies and the selection of reactive compensation.

• Technical Design of the 765 kV Transmission Lines and Static VAR Compensators (SVCs).
This assignment involved technical design of two (02) large 765kV transmission Lines and Static VAR
compensators as well as carrying the equipment specifications and constructability.

• Supervised and evaluated the operation and construction problems of a 115 kV transmission
lines and substation supplying electricity to the Jose Industrial Petrochemical Complex, Puerto La Cruz,
Barcelona, Venezuela.

• Managed the construction and commissioning of two 25 MW gas turbine, including

transmission lines and substation for the power plant for Cementos La Vega, Ocumare del Tuy,
Venezuela.

• Recommended actions to be taken to improve the construction management of Edelca's

transmission lines and substations.
• Evaluated, selected the supplier, and witnessed the factory tests of a special 400 kV
transmission line conductor, specially designed to cross a 10 km-long body of water (i.e., Maracaibo Lake
in Venezuela). The OPGW was also evaluated in this assignment.

• Managed the overall contractual agreement between Edelca and Alcasa (an Aluminum
Company) relative to the supply of 3,500 ton of aluminum conductors (ACAR) for Edelca's 400 kV
transmission lines. OPGW cables was also included in this assignment.

• Owner Engineering to evaluate and select the contractor for construction of 3 new 400 kV
transmission lines and substations in Venezuela (La Canoa, El Furrial, and Jose) designed to supply
energy to new petroleum projects in the Venezuelan eastern region.

• 115 kV Cerro Negro transmission line and substation

Designed to supply energy to a new Orimulsion project in Monagas. The assignment included the review
of the design, scope of work, bill of materials, engineering, and reasonability of scheduling &
constructability of the Substation.

• 400 kV Tablazo and Yaracuy transmission lines and substations including associated
transmission ties. The assignment included the review of the design, scope of work, bill of materials,
engineering, and reasonability of scheduling & constructability of the transmission lines and substations.
OPGW were also included in this assihment.

• 230 kV Transmission Line Interconnection between Venezuela and Colombia.

The project involved an 80-km 230 kV transmission tie plus the Cuatricentenario 230 kV substation. The
assignment included the review of the design, scope of work, bill of materials, engineering, and
reasonability of scheduling & constructability of the Substations

• Guri 400 kV, La Canoa 400/115 kV, San Gerónimo 115 kV, and Caruachi 115/13.8 kV
transmission lines and substations, and the expansion of the Macagua 115 kV transmission line and
substation. The assignment included the review of the design, scope of work, bill of materials,
engineering, and reasonability of scheduling & constructability of the Substations

• Chief construction supervision engineer for the Yaracuy 765/400 kV and La Horqueta
765/400/230 kV transmission Lines and substations.

• Construction Supervision and management of the new Oscar Machado Zuloaga (OMZ) 765/230
kV, Guri 765/400 kV, Arenosa 765/400 kV, San Gerónimo 765/400 kV, and Malena 765 kV transmission
lines and substations.

• Participated in the review of Edelca's standard construction specifications for transmission lines
and substations. OPGW were also included in this assignment.

• Performed and/or supervised construction related to the planning of transmission and

distribution systems in the major cities of Guárico State in Venezuela.

• Performed and/or supervised detailed engineering of several transmission lines and substations
in Venezuela. The assignment included the review of the design, scope of work, bill of materials,
engineering, and reasonability of scheduling & constructability of the Substations

T&D PLANNING/FEASIBILITY/SIMULATION STUDIES

• National Electricity Regulator (NER). Efficiency and CapEx/OpEx Study. South Africa. Assisting
NER, the National Electricity Regulator in South Africa, with an independent review of the capital
expenditure/investment plan of Eskom Transmission, an electric power utility in South Africa.
• Review of Transmission Plans. Guatemala. Coordinated a group of international consultants
tasked with the independent evaluation of the technical and economic feasibility of 10-year
transmission and distribution expansion plans for the entire country developed by the national electric
utility in Guatemala (INDE). The assessment was in support of a multimillion-dollar loan application by
the utility to the World Bank. The project involved looking at all aspects of project planning and
implementation and included technical feasibility studies, economic analysis, environmental and social
impact assessments, financial analysis, and project management and implementation.
• Various Clients. Development of transmission integration for Generation Projects. Various
Countries. Provided technical assistance to various independent power producers on potential
investment opportunities in the electricity sector in several Latin American countries, including
Guatemala, Nicaragua, Mexico, and Venezuela.
• Various Clients. Electrical Simulation Studies. Various Countries. Reactive compensation
planning, transmission planning, transfer capability determination, and loss calculation studies for
several U.S. utilities using state-of-the-art software tools.

INDEPENDENT POWER INDUSTRY TECHNICAL ANALYSIS & REVIEWS.

• T&D Companies Evaluation. Various Countries. Participated in the independent technical review
and assessment of the following electricity distribution companies in Latin America: Companhia
Energetica do Maranhao (CEMAR, Brazil), Empresa de Luz y Fuerza Eléctrica Cochabamba, S.A. (ELFEC,
Bolivia), Empresas Emel, S.A. (Chile), and Distribuidora de Electricidad del Sur, S.A. (Delsur, El Salvador).
The assignment involved a review and assessment of: (i) the condition of the existing assets, (ii) the
technical and commercial performance of the utility, including an assessment of the system technical
and non-technical losses, (iii) the operations and maintenance practices, (iv) the system expansion plans,
and (v) the historical and projected capital and O&M budgets and expenditures. The ultimate objective
of this engagement was to support the broader process of securing project financing by PPL Global.
• Puerto Quetzal Power (PQP). Guatemala. Independent technical review of a 234 MW barge-
mounted diesel power generation project in Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala. The review included a due
diligence investigation prior to financial closing, and an independent review of the commissioning tests.
We are currently performing annual reviews of operation and maintenance (O&M) budgets. These
reviews will go on for the life of the loan.
• Eletropaulo. Brazil. Performed an independent technical and economic due diligence analysis
and review of Eletropaulo’s capital expenditure program for 2002 through 2006, in an amount of
approximately US$715 million. Eletropaulo is an electricity distribution utility serving over 4.6 million
customers in the city of São Paulo and twenty-three other municipalities in the greater São Paulo
metropolitan area and adjacent regions in Brazil.
• DEOCSA/DEORSA. Guatemala. Conducted an independent technical review and audit of the
capital expenditure programs of two electricity distribution companies in Guatemala. The assignment
included: (1) a review of the condition of the transmission and distribution and related assets, (2) a
review of the operations and maintenance practices, procedures, and costs, (3) a technical review of the
capital expenditure plans, (4) an assessment of the ability of the companies to successfully implement
the CapEx plans, (5) a review of the technical and commercial performance of the companies, (6) an
independent economic analysis of the base case financial projections of the companies, and (7) a review
of the relevant portions of the applicable contracts and agreements, as needed for the evaluation and
discussion of the pertinent economic and technical issues associated with this project.
• CAESS, EEO, and DEUSEM. El Salvador. Participated in the independent technical review and
audit of CAESS, EEO, and DEUSEM, all electricity distribution utilities in El Salvador. The assignment
involved an evaluation of: (i) the condition of the physical assets, (ii) staffing levels and qualifications, (iii)
losses, (iv) operation and maintenance activities, (v) planned investment and upgrading programs, and
(vi) technical inputs to the financial model. Also reviewed and opined on recent and proposed El
Salvadoran Government guidelines and specifications related to design, security and operation of
electric distribution systems, as well as quality of service benchmarks.
• Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD). Annexation Feasibility Study. USA. Assisting the
Sacramento Municipal Utility District assess the financial and technical feasibility of annexing the
electricity customers of the cities of Davis, West Sacramento and Woodland as well as parts of Yolo
County (all in California) into SMUD’s service territory.
• Uganda Electricity Distribution Company (UEDC). Uganda. Technical due diligence analysis of
UEDC, the national electricity distribution utility in Uganda. The assignment involved: (i) a technical
review and assessment of the company’s electrical and related assets, as well as of its performance, and
operations and maintenance practices, (ii) the development of a forecast of annual capital investments
required to both meet future load and perform to standards established by the regulator, and (iii) the
development of an economic/financial model with forecasts of operating revenues and costs.
• Sakarya-Bolu Distribution. Review of Distribution System. Turkey. Independent technical system
audit for the Sakarya-Bolu electricity distribution area in Northern Turkey. The assignment involved: (1)
a technical audit of the distribution system, with the principal objective of assessing the main
characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses of the utility itself, and of its operations and maintenance
practices. This technical audit also included a review of growth potential, need of improvements and
future capital requirements as well as a review of the projections of operating costs and the production
of alternative scenarios, (2) a review of the relevant portions of the various project agreements as
needed for the discussion of the project’s significant economic and technical issues, and (3) the
independent review of the pro forma financial model for the electricity business.
• Eastern Electricity. United Kingdom. An independent engineering review of Eastern Electricity,
an electricity distribution utility serving about 3.4 million customers in England. The assignment involved
a review and assessment of: (i) the condition of the existing assets, (ii) the technical and commercial
performance of the utility, including an assessment of the system losses, (iii) the operations and
maintenance practices, (iv) the system expansion plans, and (v) the historical and projected capital and
O&M budgets and expenditures.
• Empresa Eléctrica de Guatemala, Sociedad Anónima (EEGSA). Guatemala. Technical due
diligence/fatal flaw analysis of EEGSA, the largest distribution utility in Guatemala, which serves the
capital city of that country and surrounding areas. The assignment involved: (i) a technical review and
assessment of the company’s electrical and related assets, as well as of its performance, and operations
and maintenance practices, (ii) the development of a forecast of annual capital investments required to
both meet future load and perform to standards recently established by the regulator, and (iii) the
development of an economic/financial model with forecasts of operating revenues and costs.
• Las Minas Power Plant. Panama. Review of the status of construction and completion schedule
of a combined-cycle project at Bahía Las Minas in Panama. The major objectives of the investigation
were as follows: (i) to visually inspect the plant site in order to assess the status of the construction
effort; (ii) to examine available records relative to the project, and in particular the most current
schedule, in order to provide opinions on the reasonableness of the remaining scheduled activities, the
proposed duration of activities, the restraints, and the likelihood of achieving the estimated completion
dates for the overall plant and its major components, and (iii) to estimate the probable in-service date
for the plant, as well as major milestones and dates that need to be met for such an in-service date to be
achieved.

GENERATION TASKS
• Sabinas Power Plant. Mexico. Due diligence analysis of the economics of the proposed 180-MW
coal-fired Carboeléctrica Sabinas power plant, to be located in the municipality of Palaú, in the State of
Coahuila, Mexico. The transmission line interconnection was also included in this assignment, with
corresponding OPGW for communication and protection system.
• TermoYaracuy Project. Venezuela. Assessment of the external risks associated with the
TermoYaracuy project, a proposed 129 MW power plant to be located in the city of Yaritagua, Yaracuy
State, Venezuela. The transmission line interconnection was also included in this assignment, with
corresponding OPGW for communication and protection system
• Empresas Polar. Strategic Analysis of Supply Options. Venezuela. Strategic evaluation of options
available to Empresas Polar - a large industrial conglomerate in Venezuela - to meet its energy
requirements in the short, medium, and long term. The analysis was performed using risk analysis and
decision theory methods.
• Enelbar. Assessment of Project Participants. Venezuela. Assistance to Enelbar (a vertically-
integrated utility in Venezuela) in the performance of an independent evaluation of the companies and
investment firms that were reported to be participants in the financing and development of the
TermoYaracuy Project, a proposed 129 MW power plant to be located in the city of Yaritagua, Yaracuy
State, Venezuela.
• Presidential Parastatal Sector Reform Commission. Tanesco. Tanzania. Assistance to the
Government of Tanzania with the restructuring of the transmission electricity sector in that country. The
assignment involves the unbundling of the Tanzania Transmission Electric Supply Company, Ltd.
(Tanesco), the national electric utility in Tanzania, into separate generation, transmission, distribution,
and commercialization companies.
• ENEL. Nicaragua. Independent technical system audit of three generation and two distribution
utility companies in Nicaragua, prior to their privatization. The assignment involved: (i) performing an
engineering review and due diligence of all assets of Empresa Nicaragüense de Electricidad (ENEL)’s
newly formed generation and distribution companies and documenting the results in a report that was
included in the data room with the level of detail required by potential investors; (ii) preparing an
estimate of capital and operations and maintenance budget in order to meet service standards, (iii)
providing technical support relative to the implementation of the segmentation of ENEL into separate
companies, and (iv) providing general transaction support.
• Instituto de Recursos Hidráulicos y Electrificación (IRHE). Panama. Technical system audit of four
generation and three distribution utility companies in Panamá, prior to their privatization. The
assignment involved: (i) preparing a report with a technical review and description of IRHE’s newly
structured generation and distribution companies for purposes of the data room and with the level of
detail required by potential investors; the report also contained a valuation of the assets of the
companies, (ii) preparing an estimate of capital and operations and maintenance budget in order to
meet newly-established service standards, and (iii) providing general transaction support.

REGULATORY SUPPORT
• California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E). USA.
Independent engineering audit of calendar year 1999 capital spending by Pacific Gas & Electric Company
(PG&E) on its gas and electric distribution systems. The assignment involved performing a thorough
engineering and financial investigation of a statistically-significant sample of relevant projects within the
context of cost-effectiveness analysis and value-of-service assessment.
• TEDAS. Distribution Code. Turkey. Prepared a distribution code specifying the general conditions
under which the distribution licensees (or concessionaires) in Turkey shall design, operate and maintain
their electricity distribution systems.

MEMBERSHIP of PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES:

• Colegio de Ingenieros de Venezuela - Member No. 25327
• Colegio de Abogados del Distrito Federal, Caracas, Venezuela.
• Instituto de Previsión Social del Abogado. INPREABOGADO, Caracas, Venezuela
• IEEE Member

COMPUTERS SKILLS

• Microsoft Office
• Electrical Power Analysis Software
PUBLICATIONS

• "Optimal Selection of Conductors in Transmission Lines" (in Spanish), Venezuelan Power

Conference.
• Analysis and Comments of the Project Law to regulate the Electrical Sector in Venezuela, 1999.

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

Attended the following conferences and training courses:

• "Poste Haute Tension" (High Voltage Substations), CGEE ALSTHOM, France.
• "Power System Compensation", ASEA AB, Vasteras, Sweden.
• "Technical and Economic Analysis of Power Transmission Systems", Santo Domingo, Dominican
Republic.
• "Engineering Management", IESA, Caracas, Venezuela