Marine Current Turbines appoints new chief executive
Marine Current Turbines Ltd, one of the world’s leading tidal stream energy companies, has appointed Dr Andrew Tyler as its new Chief Executive Officer.
With over 20 years of leading and managing marine science, engineering and technology businesses, Andrew Tyler has significant experience in R&D, commercialisation of technology, and international business development within the offshore oil and gas, commercial maritime, environmental and defence markets.
Dr Tyler joins Marine Current Turbines (MCT) from the UK Ministry of Defence where he was Chief Operating Officer at the ministry’s Defence Equipment & Support organisation, responsible for the procurement and support of all the equipment used by the British Armed Forces. In this role, he has been widely credited with transforming equipment support to Afghanistan, and in achieving major performance improvements in delivery of complex engineering projects.
Previously Dr Tyler held a number of senior executive roles in BMT Ltd., Europe’s largest independent maritime engineering, science and technology consulting and technical services company. He was the founding Managing Director of BMT’s marine information systems business, Managing Director of their maritime defence company, and prior to leaving in 2006, Operations Director on the Group Main Board.
Commenting on the appointment, MCT’s Chairman Paul Lester said; “Andrew brings a unique blend of deep commercial experience, public sector track record, and marine sector knowledge to MCT, and commands great respect across the industry for his leadership and management of engineering and technology businesses. With MCT’s focus on moving to full scale commercialisation, Andrew’s appointment coupled with the strengthening financial commitment from MCT’s shareholders provides the springboard for the company’s future success and establishing tidal current energy as a major renewable energy source in the UK and overseas.”
Andrew Tyler said; “It is a huge privilege for me to join this world-leading business at such an exciting time. With my marine technology and engineering background, experience of commercialisation and market development, complex project management experience, and long-standing interest in the marine environment I feel well equipped to work with MCT’s highly talented team to take the business to full commercial operation in the next few years.”
Andrew Tyler joins Marine Current Turbines on July 1st 2011.
For further information:
Marine Current Turbines (www.marineturbines.com)
Dr Andrew Tyler FREng
Tel: +44 (0)1373 830992
or
Peter McIntosh, Engineering Director
Tel: +44 (0)117 979 1888
or
Paul Taylor (Taylor Keogh Communications)
Tel: +44 (0)20 3170 8465 / paul@taylorkeogh.com
Notes to Editors
About Marine Current Turbines
1. Marine Current Turbines (www.marineturbines.com) is based in Bristol, England. Founded in 2000, MCT has led the market in developing and patenting tidal current stream energy devices building on Peter Fraenkel’s (MCT’s co-founder and Technical Director) pioneering innovation dating back to the 1970s. The company’s principal corporate shareholders include BankInvest, Carbon Trust Investments, EDF Energy, ESB International, Guernsey Electricity, High Tide and Siemens Energy.
2. The company is taking forward a number of tidal projects in UK and overseas waters. MCT is partnering RWE npower renewables to develop a 10MW tidal farm in waters off Anglesey, north Wales, developing an 8MW tidal farm in Kyle Rhea (Scotland’s Isle of Skye) and is working with Minas Basin Pulp & Power to deploy a single SeaGen tidal system in Canada’s Bay of Fundy. In addition, MCT has an approval for a lease from The Crown Estate to deploy a 100MW tidal farm off Brough Ness, on the southern most tip of the Orkney Islands.
3. MCT has a won a number of awards for its work. In 2009 it was ranked the world’s top tidal energy company in The Guardian/Clean Tech Global 100 Survey and won Renewable Energy Developer of the Year in the UK Renewable Energy Association Annual Awards. In 2010, MCT was awarded the prize for “Tidal Energy Competitiveness 2010” at the 1st International Tidal Energy Summit and the company also won a Sustainable Ireland Award for the success of SeaGen.
4. MCT’s 1.2MW SeaGen was deployed in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough in 2008; it has the capacity to generate power for the equivalent of about 1500 homes and so far has generated over 2,500 MW/h onto the grid. SeaGen works in principle much like an “underwater windmill” with the rotors driven by the power of the tidal currents rather than the wind.
Dr Andrew Tyler
1. Dr Andrew Tyler graduated with a degree in Nautical Studies and a PhD in marine pollution. He holds an MBA from the London Business School. He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, a chartered marine scientist, chartered engineer, and chartered hydrographic and oceanographic surveyor.
2. Dr Tyler joined BMT in 1989 as a marine scientist. He worked on a wide range of coastal engineering, oceanographic, and offshore projects before becoming the founding MD of BMT Marine Information Systems developing world-leading software applications for marine pollution and safety at sea that continue to be used throughout the world in the offshore oil and gas, and maritime industries.
3. In 2001 he became MD of BMT Defence Services Ltd., Europe’s largest independent naval defence consulting engineering business and in 2005 he was appointed as Operations Director on the Group Main Board of BMT with responsibility for BMT’s business across Europe, Middle East, Asia, and Australasia.
4. Dr Tyler joined the Ministry of Defence in 2006 leading the procurement and support of equipment for the Royal Navy. In 2008 he was appointed Chief Operating Officer for Defence Equipment and Support with responsibility for the £15Bn/annum procurement and support of equipment across the British Armed Forces.
