Power Moves: New board members for AREG and more

Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group (AREG) has appointed two new directors, Allan MacAskill and Andrew Wilson, to its board. The appointments represent more than 60 years of combined energy sector experience for AREG, whose mission is to champion the Northeast’s renewable energy sector.

MacAskill is the technical director at Flotation Energy and has spent more than 40 years working across the energy industry, both in oil and gas and renewables. He co-founded Kincardine Offshore Wind in 2012 and Flotation in 2018, with the companies going on to support the development of a portfolio of UK and international renewable energy projects.

Wilson is the managing director at Montrose-based Coast Offshore. He worked in the rotating equipment industry for over 10 years with companies including Siemens Energy where he supported operators in oil and gas, before shifting his focus to renewables. Prior to assuming his current position at Coast Offshore, Wilson was a service operations manager at Seagreen, Scotland’s largest windfarm, on behalf of Vestas.

“We are honoured to add two talented industry leaders to our board, who will bring a breadth of knowledge and experience to the organisation as we look to increase our support for members at a critical time for Scotland’s energy transition,” stated AREG chairperson Jean Morrison.

© Supplied by AREG

“With several important renewables projects recently receiving contracts for difference and some exciting renewables developments yet to be confirmed by the government, we are encouraged by the value that our new board directors will add to AREG’s member offering as the north-east strengthens its position as a supply chain hub for the renewable energy industry,” she added.

“My interest in the energy transition was first sparked by involvement in the electrification of the Beatrice oil field. From that, I know that Aberdeen already possesses the offshore capacity, skills, and experience to make the energy transition possible,” said MacAskill.

“The north-east of Scotland is ideally positioned to closely collaborate with neighbouring countries to build a new economy which exports knowledge, skills and electrons right around the world. Offshore renewable energy offers enormous potential to bring investment worth billions of pounds and create thousands of jobs.”

Wilson added: “The wealth of experience and knowledge within the group allows us to support our members in leading the Northeast’s drive to be at the forefront of the energy transition and deliver on the potential we harbour in Scotland.”

© Supplied by Turley

Nicola Riley has joined the net zero infrastructure team at independent advisory Turley as senior director.

Riley joins from WSP, where she was head of renewables. She has over 23 years’ experience, specialising in growing and managing energy teams and delivering complex technical and commercial projects. These projects have spanned different sectors, covering technologies including onshore and offshore wind, solar, tidal, battery storage, biomass, energy from waste, electric vehicles and biofuels.

The appointment comes as Turley is growing its net zero infrastructure business across the UK and Ireland, with a commitment to helping both countries reach net zero emissions by 2050 by delivering new and upgraded infrastructure. Turley’s team engages with all consenting regimes, including Development Consent Orders and Developments of National Significance, working across renewable energy production, storage and distribution, as well as industrial decarbonisation.

“Nicola’s appointment signals our commitment to the net zero infrastructure sector,” stated Turley’s senior director for sustainability and ESG, Colin Morrison. “Not only does Nicola bring a huge wealth of knowledge and experience in all disciplines across the sector, she is also passionate about driving the decarbonisation agenda forward to create a better, more sustainable world for our communities and future generations,” he added.

“The new Labour government’s commitment to net zero is evident through announcements on an onshore wind taskforce and the establishment of Great British Energy, alongside a £500m increase in the budget made available for the recent contracts for difference (CfD) auction round 6 and manifesto promises to invest in carbon capture and storage, hydrogen and marine energy,” said Riley. “I’m looking forward to getting to know our people, clients and projects better, and support in positioning Turley for the significant new growth opportunities in this sector.”

© Supplied by Mearns & Gill

Well engineering consultancy and project management company Zenith Energy has appointed Malcolm Charles as its new business development manager.

Charles has over 22 years’ experience in the energy sector, and his appointment comes as Zenith continues to innovate and grow in the energy and wells space. Recently a deal to support Predator Oil and Gas (LON: PRD) on a project in Morocco was announced, while the has also been confirmed as a key partner in a milestone integrated decommissioning project alongside PDi for the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA).

“We are going through an extensive growth phase of the business and are excited to see the positive impact Malcolm will have on our journey toward this, as well as helping us power a sustainable future,” stated Zenith’s managing director, Martin Booth.

“The company’s vision for innovation and sustainable growth aligns perfectly with my passion for making a difference in the energy sector,” said Charles.

© Supplied by North Star

Bruno Bartel has joined North Star, a UK provider of offshore infrastructure support services to the wind and oil and gas industries, as its new European renewables lead.

Bartel began his career at a Hamburg-based offshore wind brokerage firm and has almost nine years’ experience in ship chartering and asset management, working for vessel chartering organisations in Germany. He has also worked for several of Hamburg’s family-owned ship businesses.

Bartel holds degrees in shipping from London Metropolitan University and in International Maritime Law from Swansea University.

In his new role at North Star, also based in Hamburg, Bartel will act as the primary contact for the company’s European clients operating outside of UK waters, helping to leverage opportunities in the region’s growing offshore wind market. He will also assist North Star’s HR team with local recruitment.

North Star entered the service operation vessel (SOV) market in December 2021 and currently has eight high-performance offshore wind ships designed to support operations and maintenance (O&M) either delivered or under construction. In February, the firm secured a newbuild contract for its first SOV, which will be deployed offshore Germany. North Star, which has bases in Aberdeen, Lowestoft and Newcastle and Hamburg, and has a workforce of 1,400 seafarers and onshore personnel, is bringing Bartel on board to help drive its growth objectives.

Swiss-based private equity firm Partners Group acquired the Aberdeen-headquartered shipping services firm from Basalt Infrastructure Partners in 2022.

“His extensive maritime experience, energy and deep understanding of the chartering sector will be invaluable as we work towards our strategic goal of adding 40 hybrid SOVs to our fleet by 2040,” said North Star’s CEO, Matthew Gordon.

“I’m excited to join North Star and build on the strong foundation already in place to make North Star the leading SOV service provider in continental Europe,” said Bartel. “Many aspects attracted me, including its rich 137-year legacy, hands-on personable approach, in-house cadet programme and SOV training.”

© Supplied by Technip Energies

Benjamin Lechuga has joined Technip Energies as chief strategy and sustainability officer and member of the group executive committee. In his new role, Lechuga will oversee strategy, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and sustainability agendas.

Lechuga has over 25 years of international experience in M&A, corporate management, consulting, and private equity, having held senior roles up to board level.

He joins Technip Energies from Deloitte, where he was part of the financial advisory business in Switzerland from 2014 to 2024, with a focus on the energy, infrastructure and industrial sectors. From 2007 to 2013, he held management roles in Paris for Société Générale AM/4D Global Energy Capital, a private equity fund dedicated to the energy value chain, and for Areva Renewables delivering strategic planning and business development initiatives. Lechuga spent the first part of his career in Shell’s gas and power division in the UK up to 2006, working on major LNG projects in Africa, Asia and the Americas, as well as in Shell Trading.

Lechuga is a graduate of École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées and École Polytechnique.

“His vast experience in corporate development and M&A, along with his strategic vision will be valuable assets as we continue to drive our sustainability and growth initiatives forward,” said Technip Energies’ CEO, Arnaud Pieton, of Lechuga’s appointment.

UK Oil and Gas (LON: UKOG)has appointed Kris Bone to its board as an executive director and chief technical officer with immediate effect.

Bone is a petroleum engineer and chartered chemical engineer with 25 years of experience in the petroleum, underground gas storage and energy development sectors. He has previously worked on salt cavern wells, conventional geological gas storage projects and as an independent UK well/borehole examiner. Bone joined UKOG in 2019, bringing technical knowledge, leadership and management experience across planning and development, surface and subsurface engineering, drilling and production operations, project management, HSE and regulatory compliance.

Bone will lead the technical, engineering and development side of the company’s hydrogen storage projects.

“His wide energy sector, drilling and gas storage experience will prove invaluable in developing and delivering the company’s hydrogen storage projects,” stated UKOG’s CEO, Stephen Sanderson.

At the same time, non-executive director Kiran Morzaria stepped down from the UKOG board to focus wholly on his role as CEO of Cadence Minerals and its related mining investments. And executive director Allen Howard reverted to his original non-executive director role with immediate effect.

Power Moves is kindly sponsored by the good people of JAB Recruitment.