Renewables Expert visits New Zealand

Renewables Expert visits New Zealand

One of Britain’s leading experts on renewable energy will be visiting Wellington next week.

Paul O Brien has been responsible for developing alternative energy in Scotland since he was seconded to Scottish Development International.

Mr O’Brien will be talking to Wellington and Lower Hutt City Councils government agencies and energy industry leaders.

A Biography

Paul O’Brien was educated at St Gerard’s School and the University of Strathclyde, both in Glasgow. After leaving university where he studied Chemistry and Physics he entered a 30 year career in management covering a number of diverse industry sectors including the Chemical, Manufacturing, Retail, Automobile and ICT industries.

On joining government economic development agency, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, in 1999 he was involved in the early work in e-commerce solutions for companies and communities in rural Scotland. This led to his involvement in the Scottish Government’s Broadband Taskforce and the devising of strategies for the role out of high speed broadband networks, including wireless systems, across the highlands and islands of Scotland.

Before being seconded to Scottish Development International (SDI), five and half years ago, he was also involved in the development of the renewable energy industry in Scotland at a local level. The area in which he worked included some of the first wind farms in Scotland and was home to the first grid connected wave machine in the world.

Since joining SDI, Paul has been involved in promoting Scottish renewable energy companies overseas in the US, Canada, China, Japan and Europe. His role also entails dealing with prospective inward investment companies in the renewables field interested in making Scotland a base for UK and European activities.

Paul is a member of the Offshore Wind Industry Group for the Scottish Government’s advisory body, Forum for Renewable Energy Development in Scotland (FREDS) and has also served on their Marine Energy Group and is currently a member of their Renewable Heat Group. Paul is also a Board member for the Scottish Hydrogen Fuel Cell Association (SHFCA) and sits on the Biofuels for Business Programme Advisory Board in Scotland.

His work has involved all aspects of alternative energy and includes the wind, wave, tidal, biomass, bio-fuel, solar, geothermal, the hydrogen and fuel cell sectors as well as waste to energy and carbon capture and storage systems.

ENDS

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