Council

 

Chris has been a Hydro Engineer since 1994, including six years as Hydro Sales Manager with Gilbert Gilkes & Gordon Ltd. He is responsible for providing mechanical and electrical engineering input to projects being studied and managed by Inter Hydro Technology / R G Parkins & Partners Ltd. Chris has a wealth of experience in small hydro gained from travelling world wide specifying appropriate solutions to project developers and providing input to economic analysis of small hydro projects.

 

Jon Needle founded Derwent Hydroelectric Power Limited following a long-term passion for waterpower. He has over 20 years' experience in the design, construction, installation and operation of small hydro schemes in the UK. He has developed and now operates five low head sites with a combined capacity of over 750kW. In addition he has been directly involved in the refurbishment or installation of more than 20 other hydro schemes.

 

Mike is the Managing Director of S M S Seals Ltd a company who specialise in the design, manufacture, installation and commissioning of main shaft sealing systems for Hydroelectric Turbines. Has experience of hydroelectric schemes from 2.5MW up to 2000MW both in the UK and overseas and has experience on both refurbishment and new projects. A former Merchant Navy officer Mike is a Mechanical Engineer with over 30 years experience in the power generation industry both in the UK and overseas. Mike & his wife Denise were born in Birmingham and moved to their current address in Somerset 12 years ago. Interests outside work include travel, Lions Clubs International (Mike has been a member for over 30 years), reading, cricket and rugby although not actively playing any longer.

 

Oliver Barratt is a director of the Lowwood Products Co Ltd which was incorporated in 1953 by his late uncle Dennis While - one of the founders of NAWPU - to develop a hydro site at the old Lowwood Gunpowder Works on the River Leven which runs out of Windermere.  The two Gilkes Francis turbines there have been giving good service ever since.  The company has recently developed another site at Backbarrow, further up the same river, with three Newmills machines, and continues to explore hydro opportunities in the area.
Oliver Barratt is a director of the Lowwood Products Co Ltd which was incorporated in 1953 by his late uncle Dennis While - one of the founders of NAWPU - to develop a hydro site at the old Lowwood Gunpowder Works on the River Leven which runs out of Windermere.  The two Gilkes Francis turbines there have been giving good service ever since.  The company has recently developed another site at Backbarrow, further up the same river, with three Newmills machines, and continues to explore hydro opportunities in the area.

 

Andy Billcliff 48 years old head of Renewables production for Npower Renewables. Responsible for delivery of production targets for a fleet of 500MW of Wind and Hydro Assets across the UK  - Cornwall to the Orkneys. A mechanical Engineer with over 25 years experience in the Power Generation industry. Having worked on Nuclear, coal and gas fired plant before moving into Hydro operations. Experienced in plant management, control systems, business systems, safety management, change management, control of contracts and contractors, technical due diligence and commercial operations. Andy currently lives in North Wales with his wife Christina and four children. Interests outside work include cars, computing, photography and anything to do with gadgets.

 

Mark is Managing Director of Ellergreen Hydro, a hydroelectric development business he founded in partnership with Gilkes.  He was previously a renewable energy corporate financier in the City of London.  He divides his time between London and the Lake District, where he is also deputy chairman of James Cropper plc, the UK’s leading manufacturer of luxury papers and a family business since 1845. 

 

 

 

Martin Foster, Hydro engineer, developer, owner and operator age 37. Most of his work has been on small hydro in Scotland. Martin started planning hydro when Maggie Thatcher opened the energy market in 1985, since then he has designed many small stations 3 of which he owns fully. The business has expanded with 3 full time partners. They are now a busy partnership concentrating on only the best form of energy creation. His expertise lies in Civil Electrical and Mechanical engineering, He manages energy sales and ROC transfers. He sees a growing importance in securing a sustainable future for energy production and feels hydro has a very important part to play.

 

A.D.Frazer, owner and operator of 3 ancient francis turbines by MacDonald (1880's) and one modern Kaplan turbine by Newmills (1995) with a capacity of 400kW. These are based in a Bleachgreen founded in 1720 using 5 waterwheels, subsequently replaced by water turbines, to provide power for processing linen and other textiles. As Chairman of the Northern Ireland Branch of the BHA, Andrew serves to encourage, promote and facilitate waterpower users with planning, environmental and electricity trading issues. He has been a member of the BHA Council since 1996.

 

Kieron is the founder and director of Hydroplan UK, which specialises, in the consenting, design and construction of small to medium sized hydro projects.   Kieron is a hydraulic/mechanical engineer and the early part of his career was spent as a turbine designer.  A former chairman and CEO of the BHA, Kieron has been a BHA council member for more than 10 years.

 

 

Terry Maguire is the Managing Director of NHT Engineering Ltd and Newmills Hydro Generation Ltd both based at Newmills Hydro, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland. For more than 200 years this site has operated using a hydropower source.  Terry has 33 years experience in the design planning and construction of small hydro schemes. He has been involved in hydropower development throughout the UK, Ireland and overseas, developing a full range of hydro sites with Kaplan, Axial Flow, Francis and Pelton turbines. Currently Terry through Newmills Hydro Generation Ltd, is constructing a turbine testing facility in Larne, Co Antrim which will become a centre of excellence for the testing of high Head Kaplan turbines on the UK.

 

 

From 1955 – 1961 David trained as a Chartered Accountant with Mackay Irons & Company in Dundee, qualifying in 1961.   After a short period of working for The Scottish Gas Board in Perth he went abroad to Hong Kong in December 1961, joining a local firm of Accountants, Lowe Bingham and Matthews.   He became a partner in that firm in 1969.   The firm were correspondents for Price Waterhouse and in 1975 became a part of that group and thus he became a partner in Price Waterhouse Worldwide.   His experience during those years was wide and varied and covered such industries as electronics; engineering; ship owning; property development and holding; import/export; insurance; banking; hotels and travel companies; transport; public utilities and various other quasi-government departments. His experience also covered company flotations and the writing of prospectuses with the attendant review of profit forecasts.David returned to Scotland in July 1982, set up practice as a Sole Practitioner in November 1982 and has been practising in Dundee since that date, offering a full range of professional services to private companies and smaller businesses. He continues to operate from his office in James Keiller Buildings, 32-34 Mains Loan, Dundee, assisting small companies with Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, and advising on business problems.   His current interests also include consulting work in connection with hydroelectric projects and building and operating hydro schemes. David is a Director of Garbhaig Hydro Power Company Limited, Highland Light & Power Limited and Assynt Hydro Limited for whom the consulting work is prepared.He is a Committee Member of The British Hydro Power Association, and currently on the circulation list for various government consultation documents. David’s sporting hobbies are golf, (he has been Captain of two Clubs The Royal Kong Kong Golf Club and his current position with Blairgowrie Golf Club), bowls, curling and shooting and he is also a keen gardener. David also plays the violin and is interested in traditional Scottish folk and dance music.

 

Bob is the Managing Director of LoCO2 Energy Ltd, TradeLink Solutions Ltd (TLS) and TLS Hydro Power Ltd. Being a trained chemist, Bob spent most of his career in the gas and electricity industry, holding a number of senior positions at BP and Eastern Electricity. During his time at these positions, he was responsible for all electricity and gas purchasing and trading; leading negotiations which resulted in the construction of several major gas fired stations in the UK and numerous North Sea gas fields; and the purchase of some of the UK’s major generation plants.  In his time at Eastern Electricity Bob also purchased all the renewable energy in East Anglia under the NFFO contracts following on to pioneer the set up of TLS in 1997.  He has followed on his entrepreneurial leadership in the renewable energy field with TLS Hydro Power and now LoCO2 Energy. Bob holds a 1st Class honours’ degree in General Chemistry including 1 year study of Management Science from Imperial College, London and PhD in Organometallic Chemistry & Catalysis. In his spare time he still consults and runs training courses on the electricity and gas industry travelling the world on many interesting assignments.

 

Jamie O’Nians is the Manager of the Fluids Group and the Bristol office for IT Power. He is a mechanical engineer with wide ranging experience in the hydro and ocean energy and wind sectors. He has considerable experience in technology research and development, project management and commercialisation of technologies and a track record of securing additional support for such projects.  He has also worked extensively overseas and recently completed a cross-sectoral rural electrification study in Mozambique, commissioned by the World Bank, where he worked in developing the design and a project implementation strategy for the Water, Health and Education Sectors identifying Energy Guidelines and appropriate technical solutions. He has extensive experience water and sanitation sector in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia having worked in the humanitarian relief field prior to joining IT Power.He has expansive knowledge of research, programming, project planning and donor reporting; personnel, logistical and budget management.