Exporting the Sun from Africa to Europe
The next Epsom & Ewell Energy Group meeting is on Wednesday 12th September at 7.30 at W S Atkins offices, Woodcote Grove, Epsom. Everyone welcome. The speaker will be Mike Coombs of Nur Energie. TuNur is a solar project in Tunisia, run by Nur Energie which is developing solar plants in the Mediterranean region, using concentrated solar power, using solar tower technology. The electricity generated by Nur Energie projects in North Africa will be transmitted to Europe by submarine cable. The electricity generated by TuNur will be linked to Italy.
This is an innovative and ground-breaking project and raises many questions about future low carbon energy supplies for Europe. These kinds of systems may be of great importance and significance to us all in future.
Mike Coombs, Chief Financial Officer, Nur Energie Ltd Since February 2011 Mike has been CFO at Nur Energie Ltd an early stage solar developer specialising in the Mediterranean Region. More recently he was appointed CFO and board member of TuNur Ltd, a Nur Energie Ltd joint venture project company developing utility scale concentrated solar power projects in Tunisia with the aim of exporting low cost renewable power to Europe. During the previous five years he was Group CFO of Renewable Energy Systems (RES) an international wind farm developer which saw annual revenues increase from £160m in 2006 to £500m by 2010. RES, a member of the Sir Robert McAlpine Group, is one of the renewable energy sector's market leaders with over 5,000MW of wind projects developed and built and 600MW under ownership in various markets including the UK, Ireland, France, Sweden, Canada and the US. Mike sat on the RES Limited board which focused on all aspects of wind farm development both in the UK and overseas including construction with the objective of rapidly growing the project financed operating portfolio. He also sat on the boards of RES Heat and Power Limited and Inbuilt Limited which targeted investment opportunities in other renewable technologies including bio-mass, geo-thermal, solar and sustainable building consultancy. Before RES Mike was Group Finance Director of Biwater Plc a water utility and construction group with interests in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, North and South America and the Far East. Mike is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Management Accountants (FCMA) with more than 10 years of senior board experience within the utility sector including significant international experience both in the developed and developing world.