Highlands and Islands renewables sector rising stars honoured at the Young Professionals Green Energy Awards
A research engineer with Inverness-based Wave Energy Scotland and a marketing manager at Orkney's European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) are among eight up-and-coming green energy stars who were honoured at the Young Professionals Green Energy Awards.
Jillian Henderson from Wave Energy Scotland developed a completely new approach to innovation in the wave energy sector by focusing on commercial results, earning the innovation prize, while EMEC' Caron Oag scooped the professional service award for her work showcasing EMEC and Orkney’s hydrogen potential in the media, at online events and by coordinating high-profile visits ahead of COP26.
They join six others in receiving accolades at the 2022 Young Professionals Green Energy Awards, which saw 300 renewable energy professionals come together at the Grand Central Hotel in Glasgow.
Recognition also went to Matthew Dowds from Muirhall Energy, who won the engineer award for his creative approach to managing the company’s grid portfolio which has seen a growth in grid capacity to more than 1.4GW and savings of tens of millions of pounds, and Lesley Cartwright from Natural Power who successfully transitioned from oil and gas after being made redundant during the sector’s downturn.
The winners were selected from a shortlist of 31.
Claire Mack, chief executive of Scottish Renewables, the industry body which organises the awards, said: “It’s truly incredible to see the talent pool we have here in Scotland.
“The Young Professionals Green Energy Awards once again highlight the level of skill, innovation, and ambition of those who will be driving the future of our renewable energy sector and the energy transition.
“This level of passion and dedication is exactly what we need as we continue to work towards achieving our net-zero target.
“Congratulations to all the winners, you should be extremely proud of your achievements.”
The full list of Young Professionals Green Energy Awards 2022 winners:
Academic Award: Jennifer Howie, ScottishPower Renewables
Analyst Award: Lucia Urra Viana, ScottishPower Renewables
Culture Change Award: Gender Affinity Network, RES
Engineer Award: Matthew Dowds, Muirhall Energy
Innovator Award: Jillian Henderson, Wave Energy Scotland
Personal Improvement Award: Lesley Cartwright, Natural Power
Professional Service Award: Caron Oag, EMEC
Project Development Award: Sarah Tullie, ITPEnergised
The winners of the 2022 Young Professionals Green Energy Awards will go on to compete for the Young and Inspiring Award at the Scottish Green Energy Awards, which will be held later this year.
