© Supplied by Orsted/The Crown Est Ørsted’s Benj Sykes, VP and UK country manager, and Gus Jaspert, managing director marine at The Crown Estate, discuss how wind farms can work in harmony not just with the environment, but with other ocean users and communities – exploring what do we have to do differently, and why.
In a series of four podcasts, industry experts and key team members from Ørsted, the world’s most sustainable energy developer, discuss present and future opportunities as well as challenges in the ever-evolving energy sector.
The Ørsted podcast series explores everything from innovation and decarbonisation to the impact on biodiversity and local communities.
Listen to the podcast to learn more.
Episode 3 – Gigawaters: The next phase of offshore wind
Has the energy sector hit the end of the road on the previous phase of success? How do we move into the next phase of the UK’s offshore wind journey? And looking to the future, what are the opportunities that lie ahead.
These questions and more are tackled by Benj Sykes, Ørsted’s VP and UK country manager, head of Europe environment, consenting and permitting, and Gus Jaspert, managing director marine at The Crown Estate.
Meet the interviewees: Benj Sykes & Gus Jaspert
© Supplied by Orsted/The Crown EstBenj leads Ørsted’s UK team overseeing the company’s relationships across government, authorities, regulators and NGOs, delivering the sustainability and environmental agendas and securing permits and consents for Ørsted’s Europe portfolio.
Until December 2020 Benj chaired the Offshore Wind Industry Council, leading the work to deliver the Offshore Wind Sector Deal with the UK Government, and was a member of the Government’s Offshore Wind Acceleration Taskforce.
He also served on the government’s Advisory Panel on Highly Protected Marine Areas and the Prime Minister’s Offshore Wind Acceleration Taskforce. He chairs OWIC’s programme tackling the barriers to the offshore wind sector delivering its full contribution to net zero, and the Aviation programme in partnership with the MOD.
Benj led the global offshore renewable sector’s work in support of the UN Oceans Panel, forming the Offshore Renewable Energy Action Coalition and publishing their ground-breaking report on unlocking the global potential of ocean renewable energy. He established Ørsted’s Asset Management function and has served on the boards of most of the company’s joint ventures.
Benj previously worked at the Carbon Trust as Director of Innovation, after two decades in the upstream oil and gas sector.
© Supplied by Orsted/The Crown EstGus is the managing director of The Crown Estate marine business – which includes management of the seabed and around half of the foreshore around England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
He has extensive experience working across complex policy environments leading strategy, transformation and delivery in Government at a regional, national and international level. A strategic leader, complex problem solver and innovator, he’s passionate about driving positive value and building purposeful, collaborative teams.
Gus has served in Government as director general for delivery in the Home Office, as director of security and intelligence in the Cabinet Office, and in a number of policy, operational, major project and regulatory roles.
He has worked twice in Number 10 Downing Street as a senior advisor to two different Prime Ministers, including as head of the delivery unit focussed on shaping strategy and delivery outcomes for the Government on regeneration and the net zero agenda.
As Governor of the British Virgin Islands in August 2017 he led the Territory in the response and recovery from devastating hurricanes and was honoured as a Companion of St Michael and George (CMG) by HM The Queen for his work.
Listen to the third episode of the Ørsted podcast series now.
