Wave energy developer Aquamarine Power Limited continues to strengthen its team with the appointment of Dr Patrick (Paddy) O’Kane as the company’s new Chief Technical Officer. He brings with him extensive experience in the renewable energy industry.
Dr O’Kane joins Aquamarine Power from SSE Renewables, the UK’s leading renewable energy generator. At SSE Renewables he was Head of Engineering and Wind Resource Assessment, overseeing the technical design and specification of over £2bn of renewable projects.
After starting his career at DuPont, Dr O’Kane went on to hold a number of senior engineering and consultancy posts. He has a first class honours degree and PhD in electrical engineering from Queen’s University, Belfast. He is a Chartered Engineer and a Member of the Institute of Engineers of Ireland, and has previously represented the wind industry at national and international level in a number of forums including national grid code review panels.
Martin McAdam, Chief Executive Officer of Aquamarine Power, said: -“Paddy will be a major asset to Aquamarine Power and invaluable as we work towards the commercialisation of our next generation Oyster device. He brings unparalleled technical experience in the renewable energy industry and an unmatched understanding of the technical aspects of developing new methods of power generation and the need for commercial viability.”
Aquamarine Power now employs over 50 staff with over fifty per cent holding a doctorate or masters. The company has grown from just ten employees in the summer of 2008, when CEO Martin McAdam joined the company.
Aquamarine Power is the owner and developer of the Oyster wave energy converter. The first full-scale 315kW Oyster 1 was launched last year. Aquamarine Power is now developing the next-generation Oyster 2, which will consist of three linked wave energy devices powering a single 2.4MW onshore hydro-electric generator. A small farm of 20 Oyster devices would provide enough energy for more than 12,000 homes.
