Pelamis Wave Power has appointed Per Hornung Pedersen as its new Chief Executive Officer.
The company says that Mr Pedersen joins Pelamis with an immediate goal of fulfilling demand from the company’s three major customers, E.ON, ScottishPower Renewables and Vattenfall, who are actively developing commercial projects for Pelamis machines and have lodged enquiries for significant orders of wave energy units.
The company has been without a CEO for just over a year since the resignation of both the CEO and the CFO in October 2010.
Per Hornung Pedersen brings considerable experience of both the manufacturing and renewable sectors, with a particular expertise in commercialising renewable technologies. He previously held the post of CEO at REpower Systems, one of the leading international manufacturers of wind turbines, and has had CFO or CEO roles in the renewable energy sector since 2000.
Mr. Pedersen was also responsible for transforming Suzlon Energy Ltd, the Indian wind turbine manufacturer, into a global player. In just four years he was instrumental in growing the company into the world’s fifth largest turbine manufacturer, developing new markets for Suzlon in no fewer than seven different countries on five continents.
Gina Domanig, Chairman of Pelamis, commented: “Per is a renewable energy heavyweight with huge experience in commercialising renewable technologies and developing global markets. He brings the right blend of experience and industry standing to take our company into an exciting new phase.
Mr. Pedersen will now lead the recently-announced strategic review, a process that will enable Pelamis to scale up its manufacturing to commercial levels.
Per Hornung Pedersen, Chief Executive Officer of Pelamis, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity and I am thrilled to be joining Pelamis at such a defining moment for the company. Pelamis already has the technical platform to begin serial production of its machines – together with our customers we will be the first to make wave energy a reality.”
The company reported last month that it has secured an agreement for lease from The Crown Estate to develop a wave farm, large enough to power some 7,000 homes on average – more than meeting the average electricity requirements of Stornoway.
The 10MW lease is for a site located off the west coast of Lewis near the Island of Bernera, and with construction targeted for 2015, it would become the Western Isles’ first ever commercial wave farm. The timing coincides with planned grid upgrades to the Island and the completion of pre-commercial development of Pelamis technology in Orkney by utility customers E.ON and ScottishPower Renewables.
The Pelamis floats on top of the water and absorbs the energy from ocean waves to convert it into electricity. The video below shows the device in trials at EMEC in Orkney where another Edinburgh wave energy company, Aquamarine Power, is installing the first of three wave energy devices called the Oyster 800 which are to be sited there in an array in 2012 and 2013.
