Mamoon Alyah
MBA BSc CEng IRMCert
Principal Engineer
Mr Mamoon Alyah is a Chartered Electrical Engineer (UK) and a Professional Engineer (USA). With over 38 years of experience, he has been instructed as an expert by clients around the world to prepare expert reports and testify in jury trials, arbitration hearings, depositions (USA), and other types of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) proceedings in different jurisdictions in the USA, UK, Europe Middle East, Singapore and Australia.
Mr Alyah has investigated numerous complex issues turbine (gas and steam), wind power (onshore and offshore), solar power (PV and CSP) in addition to geothermal, hydro and other energy power systems. He has investigated failures of these systems associated to design, installation, and operation/maintenance deficiencies, in addition to analysing contributing factors to catastrophic failures.
He specialises in matters involving the design, installation and operation of power systems (generation, transmission and distribution) and is instructed frequently in construction disputes involving power plants (thermal, PV, solar CSP, wind, geothermal and hydro) in addition to substations (transmission and distribution). He is recognised as an expert in the deployment of new renewable energy technologies in utility-scale applications.
Additionally, he is also a recognised expert in the investigation of failures in power transformers, cables (EHV, HV, MV and LV), switchgear, rotating machinery (generators, motors, gas and steam turbines) in addition to other types of equipment. and other types of rotating machinery. His clients include power utilities in many countries, suppliers of electrical systems, and contractors on various infrastructure and mega projects.
Mr Alyah is a recognised authority on the application of electrical regulations and codes in different jurisdictions, in addition to international standards covering different types of electrical systems.
As the Managing Director and Principal Engineer of CEERISK Consulting, Mr Alyah is responsible for managing complex expert instructions in addition to all expert engineering services overseeing engineering services provided by other experts in different disciplines, including mechanical engineering, renewable energy, chemical engineering, civil/structural engineering, hydrology, metallurgy, petrochemical engineering and welding.
In recent years, Mr Alyah has been instructed on a number of matters around the world, some of which can be seen below.
Solar Power
- Prepared expert report and provided expert testimony at an arbitration matter in Singapore which involved the design of junction boxes in thousands (182,000+) of PV modules that were installed in different locations throughout the USA. The dispute involved claims of design defect and the impact of partial shading on the different PV modules.
- Prepared an expert report related to the installation of earthing system in a large PV utility-scale power plant in Egypt in the Middle East.
- Investigated total loss at a utility-scale PV plant in north Jordan that was damaged as a result of windstorm. The investigation led to conclusions that dealt with defects of design of the PV panel tracker systems and PV modules which were litigated in a European court.
- Investigated the root cause of a fire in a VAR-Compensator used at a PV solar power plant in south Jordan to improve power quality before connection to the EHV transmission substation. The investigation involved performing inspections, design review and analysis of power output of the PV plant and the connection to the grid.
- Investigated a thermal energy storage system failure in a Solar CSP plant in Morocco which involved review and analysis of the design, construction and fabrication of the thermal system at the plant.
Wind Energy
- Prepared an expert witness report in relation to a catastrophic failure in cable boxes at an off-shore wind farm off the shores of London. The failures were caused by workmanship deficiencies during the installation of HV busducts into the cable boxes at the substation.
- Prepared an expert report and scheduled to give evidence in litigation involving the supply and installation of LV electrical cables and systems inside WTG’s tower in West Australia.
- Instructed an expert to investigate serial failures of converters inside offshore WTG in the Irish sea.
- Investigated and prepared an expert report with opinions related to cable ducting defects in wind turbine towers in Scotland, UK. This included verification of adequacy of design specifications, installation methods, impact of variations on various electrical systems in addition to a number of other issues.
Transformers
- Investigated fire and explosion in a 374-MVA power transformer in a transmission substation in California, USA. The investigation involved forensic testing and examination of HV bushing in Germany and tear down of the transformer in San Diego, California, USA.
- Investigated an explosion in a 345-kV (EHV) bushing in a generation substation in Connecticut, USA. Following a 2-year investigation of damaged components, prepared an expert report and testified in deposition for over two days, presenting opinions related to the incident. Case was litigated in Superior Court – State of Hartford, USA
Electrical Faults
- Prepared an expert report and testified at arbitration hearing regarding a dispute during the construction of a large gas turbine power plant in Jordan. The dispute centred on decisions by the EPC contractor to delays energisation of the plant following a catastrophic failure in one of the HV circuits connected to the substation that allowed the plant to supply power to the grid.
- Acted as an expert witness in ICC arbitration proceeding in DIFC courts concerning a construction dispute involving the design, accreditation and installation of switchgear and MCC assemblies at a district cooling plant in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
- Acted as an expert witness testifying in jury trial regarding the failure of an underground cable joint in the State of Minnesota, USA.
- Testified in arbitration proceedings by American Arbitration Association (AAA) in the US State of Illinois in matter involving the failure of electrical switchgear assemblies and cable installations.
- Investigated an explosion in a 345-kV (EHV) bushing in a generation substation in Connecticut, USA. Following a 2-year investigation of damaged components, prepared an expert report and testified in deposition for over two days, presenting opinions related to the incident. Case was litigated in Superior Court – State of Hartford, USA
- Prepared expert report regarding an electrical failure in a switchgear assembly at a TV production facility in Leeds, England. Prepared expert report for solicitors who used the findings in mediation.
- Investigated and prepared expert report on failure in a large electric motor used in a car crusher in Flint, Michigan in the USA. Testified in deposition at Circuit Court for the County of Genesee, State of Michigan
- Investigated injury to an electrical contractor at a power plant who died as a result of injuries sustained when he was electrocuted while affecting repairs in a switchgear in a coal fired power station in Joliet, Illinois – USA
Gas Turbines
- Prepared an expert report and testified at arbitration hearing regarding a dispute during the construction of a large gas turbine power plant in Jordan. The dispute centred on decisions by the EPC contractor to delays energisation of the plant following a catastrophic failure in one of the HV circuits connected to the substation that allowed the plant to supply power to the grid.
- Corrosion and erosion of blades caused by steam contamination in steam turbine at plant in Wolverhampton, UK
- Overspeed in an Ansaldo steam turbine at geothermal power plant in Jakarta, Indonesia.
- Blade liberation in an Alstom steam turbine at thermal power plant in Helwan, Egypt
- Thrust bearing failure in MAN S-Series GT Type 3 gas turbine at co-generation power plant in Slovakia
- Turbine blade fractures in gas turbine in a power plant in KSA (Eastern Province)
- Combustor failure in dual fuel gas turbine in a power plant in KSA (Eastern Province)
- Compressor Blade failure in multiple gas turbines at a power plant in KSA (Eastern Province)
- High vibration and damage to turbine section of GT at a power plant in Sandbach; UK
- Blade failure at a GE IDF (Induced Draft Fan) at a power plant under construction in Yanbu, KSA
