Renewable Industry Initiative Commits to Armed Forces Covenant Signing Alongside Offshore Wind & Geothermal Innovator
Mission Renewable, CeraPhi Energy and Aker Offshore Wind celebrate their signing of the Armed Forces Covenant alongside Lieutenant General Richard Wardlaw OBE MSc BEng MInstRE, MoD’s Chief of Defence Logistics and Support.
MoD, London, UK, 24th November 2021: Formed to harness the opportunity for skills migration from the veteran community to jobs in the renewable energy sector, Mission Renewable, a Community Interest Company, today signed the Armed Forces Covenant in MoD alongside Aker Offshore Wind, and CeraPhi Energy. Signing on behalf of the Ministry of Defence was Lieutenant General Richard Wardlaw OBE MSc BEng MInstRE, MoD’s Chief of Defence Logistics and Support.
Mission Renewable is an Armed Forces engagement initiative for the UK Renewable Sector. Established in 2021, Mission Renewable, with the support of RenewableUK and the Offshore Wind Industry Council (OWIC), brings together this initiative in a fast growing industry sector.
Aker Offshore Wind is an offshore wind developer focused on assets in deep waters and specialized on floating energy systems. CeraPhi Energy is an innovative technology start up with a focus on developing clean baseload energy from Deep Geothermal, with a mandated mission of supporting the Paris Agreement 2050 making an impact change to carbon reduction.
Mission Renewable CEO, James Cameron signs the covenant alongside Lieutenant General Richard Wardlaw OBE MSc BEng MInstRE, MoD’s Chief of Defence Logistics and Support.
Mission Renewable, established to help deliver the veteran ‘people’ component of the UK’s 2019 Offshore Wind Sector Deal, aims to be the mechanism that “more easily facilitates the transfer of former military personnel with appropriate skills into the industry” drawing on the successes of the Mission Automotive initiative in the UK Automotive sector.
With the support of industry body RenewableUK, the initiative is undertaking a re-write of the Sector Guide for the MoD’s Career Transition Partnership, a key source of information for service leavers of all three services to understand and access the pathways that are available to them.
Mission Renewable is supporting the formation of Armed forces Communities across the renewable sector, developing exemplars, mentors, and enabling veterans to help each other. Mission Renewable is also working with the MoD to develop new supported pathways for service leavers, enabling the use of MoD resettlement ‘credits’ so that service leavers are able to access funding to obtain the safety and technical qualifications required to enter, for example, the Offshore Wind sector.
“These are early days for the Renewable sector” said James Cameron, CEO Mission Renewable, “But what is clear is that ‘Green’ careers will become a destination of choice for our service leavers and veterans. As our nation moves to meet the challenges in sustainability, the fast growth of the renewable energy sector will need men and women of quality to power it. Our Armed Forces community have much to offer, and by harnessing this national resource, industry too can benefit greatly.
“Companies like Aker Offshore Wind know the value of the veteran community, and innovators in new fields such as the deep geothermal technologies being developed by CeraPhi are keen to tap into that potential. From our work in other sectors, we’ve learnt a great deal about successful transition, and the power of advocacy, and it is now our responsibility to help promote these positive business behaviours in support of the renewable sector.”
Lieutenant General Richard Nugee CB CVO CBE, the MOD’s Non-Executive Director for Climate Change and Sustainability said “Mission Renewable fills a vital gap in an emerging and growing market. This country will only meet Net Zero if it embraces renewable energy in all its forms, from the more mature Offshore Wind community to the exciting new Geothermal. Veterans and Service leavers offer skills and an approach that is already valued, and the signings today will make them more accessible to the Companies that understand their true worth.”
RenewableUK’s Deputy Chief Executive Melanie Onn, who leads the Offshore Wind Industry Council’s People and Skills work, said ”The renewable energy sector is expanding rapidly throughout the country and we urgently need people with the right level of skills and expertise to fulfil the wide variety of roles we have to offer. Women and men who come to us from a military background have a wealth of experience and talent which puts them in pole position for new careers in clean energy. Mission Renewable is a great initiative which is playing a key part in this process, working closely with cutting-edge companies in the renewable energy sector and the Offshore Wind Industry Council to help former members of the Armed Forces to transfer successfully into industries which will get the UK to net zero as fast as possible”.
