Graham Barlow ABB Group – Energy Infrastructure, UK and Europe
Challenges in the generation and transmission of Renewable Energy.
Biography
Graham has been with ABB for 20 years and currently is responsible for Power Electronics for ABB in the UK. Graham is a Chartered Engineer and has a degree in electrical and control engineering, and is a Member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology. Graham is also heading Engineered Drives and is bringing 30 + years of electricity industry experience.
Eoin Sweeney Head of Ocean Energy Development Unit Sustainable Energy Ireland
Biography
Eoin has a Masters degree in Economics from University College Dublin. His work has focused on Natural Resource development. He managed the Marine Science & Technology programme in the National Board for Science and Technology and initiated InnovaWood, a knowledge transfer network for the Forest and Wood Industries throughout Europe. Until recently, he managed the Discovery Programme, a major component of SeaChange, the Strategic Programme for the marine sector 2007-2013, within the Marine Institute.
He is currently Head of the newly established Ocean Energy Development Unit in Sustainable Energy Ireland, created to implement the government’s strategy to accelerate development of ocean energy. In this role he is responsible for initiating and coordinating a wide-ranging suite of measures – developing research and test facilities; funding industry research and prototyping; developing a planning and permitting framework; and commissioning expert and consultant reports, eg. on OE engineering infrastructure and macroeconomics.
Trevor Whittaker Professor of Coastal Engineering Queen’s University Belfast Research and development of ocean energy technologies
Biography
Trevor Whittaker is Professor of Coastal Engineering at Queen's University Belfast, having been awarded a personal chair in 1993. He is also a Fellow of The Royal Academy of Engineering (elected in 2002) and a Non Executive Director and one of the Founding Members of Aquamarine Power Ltd. (a company formed to commercially develop the OysterTM wave power system).
Trevor’s most significant engineering achievement to date has been as Project Manager of the team which designed, constructed and operated Britain's first wave power station located on the Isle of Islay. Prior to decommissioning in 1998, the 75kw plant was one of only four stations in the world supplying electricity to a national distribution grid. The significance of this work was recognised when the team was presented with the ESSO Energy award in 1994 by The Royal Society and has lead to the construction of the 500kW LIMPET plant which was commissioned in 2001 and is now being commercially developed.
His latest wave power device, OysterTM, is scheduled to be deployed at EMEC in Orkney in 2009 by Aquamarine Power Ltd. and will provide a vital step towards the global development of multi-MW wave power farms.
Martin McAdam CEO Aquamarine Power Ltd.
Case Study: Aquamarine’s involvement in the marine sector
Biography
Martin McAdam joined Aquamarine Power Ltd. as Chief Executive Officer in August 2008.
Aquamarine is one of the world’s leading marine energy companies, and under Martin’s leadership, they aim to be among the first to deliver large-scale commercial wave and tidal energy projects – helping governments to reach their targets for renewable energy generation, as well as tackling climate change on a global scale.
McAdam joined Aquamarine from Wind Farm Developer and Operator, Airtricity, where he was Chief Operating Officer. He founded Airtricity’s North American operations which were purchased in 2007 by Eon for £0.75 billion. Airtricity were acquired by Scottish and Southern Energy for £1.08 billion in February this year.
Martin holds a BE (Hons) in Chemical Engineering, awarded in 1982 from University College Dublin, and in spring 2004 he completed the Advanced Management Program (AMP) at Harvard Business School. Martin is also a Chartered Engineer, a Member of the Institute of Engineers of Ireland and a Fellow of Engineers Ireland.
Case study: OpenHydro’s involvement in the marine sector
Biography
OpenHydro Group Ltd. is an Irish energy technology company whose business is the design and manufacture of marine turbines for generating renewable energy from tidal streams. Since joining OpenHydro, Sue has been involved across the business including managing the EMEC research structure and with the development and delivery of the company’s commercial and site development activities.
Sue currently holds the position of Operations Manager within the company and has overall responsibility for delivery of OpenHydro’s active tidal energy projects, including developments in Canada, Scotland and the USA. Prior to joining the company, Sue was employed by the UK Government and was integral in delivering policy and consents for both Round 1 and Round 2 offshore wind farm projects – including generating the first consents for wave and tidal projects in UK waters. She gained her early experience working offshore as a survey scientist in the oil and gas industry.
Sue has a Masters degree in Marine Environmental Management and a First degree in Applied Marine Biology.
