Irish floating wind developer Simply Blue Energy has hired Kevin Banister as international chief development officer, effective from September, to build the company’s global presence.
Banister, who has worked for floating wind pioneer Principle Power for almost 10 years, is to set up an international team to identify and originate new project opportunities.
He will be based in Oregon in the US with the aim of developing new floating wind projects in Europe, the Americas and Asia.
Banister said: “I am delighted to be joining Simply Blue Energy after an exciting and fulfilling career at Principle Power.
“With floating wind now entering the mainstream, my heart is in project development, working with local partners to create value and economic opportunity, while being at the frontline in the global fight against climate change.
“I feel that I can best deliver these values by joining SBE, a leader in innovative offshore wind project development.”
Simply Blue Energy managing director Sam Roch-Perks said: “As the Carbon Trust predicts a 70GW market for floating wind by 2040, we will continue to do what we have done to date – be there as the frontier advances.
“We have known Kevin for a number of years and I have great pleasure in welcoming him to the team.”
He was in charge of business and project development for Principle Power, responsible for establishing the pipeline of projects to feature the WindFloat floating wind technology.