New Energy World™
New Energy World™ embraces the whole energy industry as it connects and converges to address the decarbonisation challenge. It covers progress being made across the industry, from the dynamics under way to reduce emissions in oil and gas, through improvements to the efficiency of energy conversion and use, to cutting-edge initiatives in renewable and low-carbon technologies.
Lessons from winds of change
14/6/2023
6 min read
Feature
After 20 years in offshore wind, Alastair Dutton, Co-Founder of Offshore Wind Learning, shares what he’s learnt for the next generation of engineers.
After two decades in offshore wind, I have witnessed first-hand the record-breaking growth of this still relatively new technology. As offshore wind demand and ambitions rise, now is the time to build up the sector’s workforce and share our knowledge so the next generation of offshore wind leaders can carry the torch.
Looking back, at the age of 15, I remember my father queueing for three hours to get one gallon of petrol during the 1973 oil crisis. As a teenager I knew this was not the way things should be. It triggered a desire to work in energy and somehow help sort out the problem.
I took a degree in Energy Management and Technology, and spent the first 15 years of my career in energy conservation – which is now called ‘energy efficiency’. I started work at one of the largest energy companies in the world, BP, moving onto combined heat and power and then into renewables.