All-Energy 2005

Biographies

IAN HATTON - is a Petroleum Geologist with 25 years experience in the upstream energy sector. Initially he was with Phillips Petroleum and latterly U.S. independent Kerr-McGee where he was Director of Exploration.

His technical innovations played a key contributory role in the discovery and commercialisation of the North Sea’s Joanne and Gryphon Fields. In 1996 he received a corporate award for "leadership in environmental excellence" for managing all work associated with conducting environmental base line analyses and the drilling of an exploration well in Lyme Bay, Dorset, considered to be a benchmark operation for offshore operations in environmentally sensitive areas.

He founded Eclipse Energy in 1999 and is Managing Director. Eclipse is the operator of the Ormonde Project, East Irish Sea, a gas / wind hybrid being prepared for construction consent in 2005. This project represents a global ’first’, producing energy from both natural gas and wind.

PETE GEDDES - is a Project Manager with the npower renewables construction team. He’s a mechanical engineer who has worked in renewables for nearly ten years, the last 5 years of which have been at Npower notably the project coordinator for the Client company (National Wind Power) for the North Hoyle offshore wind farm (the first offshore wind farm in the UK).

DAVID KERR - has been involved in the development of Renewables – particularly Wind, Wave and Tidal Power – since the early 1980’s. He is a Renewables enthusiast but also tries to instil some realism into discussions on the prospects for renewables.

He is a Vice-Chairman of the Institution of Civil Engineers Energy Board and a member of the committee which oversees the Offshore Wind E-mail Forum. His day job is Chief Design Engineer for Sir Robert McAlpine.

SIMON COWDROY - Following his degree at the University of Salford, Simon joined National Grid Company in a variety of roles, culminating in his position as Transmission Team Leader. He was responsible for establishing a secure and economical operational plan for the National Grid Transmission system as well as operational liaison with the Scottish Transmission Operators over the Scottish Interconnectors, including authoring amendments to the British Grid Systems Agreement. He was also closely involved with the implementation of NETA into System Operations at National Grid by devising and implementing new business processes for key departments.

He currently holds the position of Commercial & Regulatory Manager within Econnect. He has built up a dedicated team who provides specialist advice to clients on the grid integration of renewable energy, focussing on issues, such as:

• Regulatory framework
• Practical operation of systems
• Charges and charging methodologies
• Maximising the value of Renewables Obligation Certificates (ROCs), Renewables Levy Exemption Certificates (LECs) and embedded benefits
• Electricity markets
• Review of connection applications
• Impacts of:
  • New regulation (e.g., BETTA)
  • Network Operator policies
  • Grid Codes
  • Planning Standards

Simon has been responsible for undertaking two studies commissioned by the DTI, “Islanded Operation of Distribution Networks” and “Development of the Offshore Grid”. His presentation at All Energy 2005 will focus on the findings of the latter study.

JULIAN CHAFER - joined the MOD (Defence Lands Service) in 1990 after gaining a degree in Agricultural Economics at the University College of Wales at Aberystwyth and a Diploma in Rural Estate Management from the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester.

Since qualifying as a rural practice chartered surveyor in 1992 he has worked in rural and urban estate management, disposals, estate rationalisation, estate policy, the overseas MoD estate before becoming Head of Estates for Defence Estates' Central Business Unit.

Following the reorganisation of DE into Northern and Southern regions he has been able to concentrate solely on Safeguarding on the MOD estate which includes the particularly high profile subject of renewable energy. As Head of Safeguarding he has overall responsibility and accountability for the delivery of all Safeguarding services provided by DE.

In addition to Fellowship of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors he is also a Member of the Association for Project Management.

JOHN HOUGHTON - is a Partner with Bond Pearce LLP, Solicitors who have an extensive energy practice, including onshore and offshore wind. He has practiced in the field of planning and environmental law for over 25 years, working on many different infrastructure projects including waste to energy, oil refineries, nuclear power, gas fired power stations, gas terminals and pipelines, on and offshore oil and gas exploration, port developments, and on and offshore wind energy. He has recently been involved in the Searweather Sands offshore wind farm Two inquiry, consenting for tidal stream and wave projects and is currently advising on a number of Round 2 projects.