Supervise installation of 36 diesel engines

Scope

I normally work in the horticulture and agriculture industries. However, at the beginning of 2025, I was asked if I would be interested in supporting an installation crew that was in the process of installing 36 generators at a new data center in the north of the Netherlands.

Goes Groep asked this. They are specialised in transporting and installing heavy equipment. Their installation crew was slowed down by the strict policies that were in place on-site. My job would be to help follow safety rules while keeping work moving smoothly.

I'm more of an engineer than a supervisor/project manager. I enjoy solving technical problems. But this job would be mostly about organisation. Plus, I wasn't too sure how I would like the corporate environment.

I decided to take on the job out of curiosity about working in a different industry. From February to September, I worked as a supervisor and stayed in the north during weekdays and returned home on weekends. It was a big learning curve, with lot’s of paperwork and many meetings.

It was not allowed to take photos on site and share them on the internet. This is unfortunate because the big cranes lifting the generators into place were an impressive sight. As an alternative, I took a photo of myself in the Goes Groep gear! (You were not allowed to enter the site without a high-vis on.)

Project information

Head contractor: Goes Groep

Location: Eemshaven, Netherlands

System type: Back-up Diesel Generator Engines

My role: Supervise a crew of installers. Partly help with the installation. Partly help with project management.

Digital tools used: Notion for planning and saving notes

Photos

Eemshaven, where the data center is being built.