Meet the team: Our Q&A with Risen Australia project development officer Bonan Shan
Q: How long have you been at Risen Australia? What are your favourite aspects of the company?
A: I’ve been at Risen Australia for almost 14 months. What I like about Risen is that it’s a place that gathers talents from different cultural backgrounds, all working towards the same goal.
Q: Tell us a little bit more about your role and your responsibilities
A: As a project officer at Risen Energy, I coordinate renewable energy projects from site identification to overseeing different stages to obtaining DA and CA approval. This includes liaising with internal teams and external consultants, assisting with land negotiations and lease agreements, managing development issues, and providing support in assessing the commercial viability of projects. I support the project development manager and director, as well as the land acquisition manager in identifying acquisition opportunities and keeping abreast of competitor activities. My role requires skills in coordination, planning, and communication, as well as commercial acumen and strategic thinking. Stakeholder relationship management is key for this role; I work collaboratively with stakeholders, including landowners, regulators, utilities, government officials, and local communities. This enables the successful delivery of project development activities.
Q: What makes your Project Development and Investment (PDI) team unique? What do you believe the team’s strengths are?
A: The PDI team acts as an intermediary between different functions/teams within the company. To achieve the goal of greenfield project development, we need help from all teams, such as legal for contract reviews, technical solutions for concept design and grid connection-related tasks, and finance for assessing the commercial feasibility of potential projects. These are just a few examples of how we interact with different teams within the company.
Our team’s strength lies in anticipating the market to secure commercial interests for the company in this highly competitive market environment.
Q: During your time at Risen Energy Australia, what have been some of the most defining accomplishments of you and your team.
A: Some of my biggest achievements have been obtaining ARENA funding for the Bungama project; securing a site in an environment that is difficult for developers to find land in prime locations; and navigating complex and sensitive matters when dealing with indigenous groups for some projects, which is crucial for obtaining DA approval.