Unlocking Grid Flexibility | Manchester at the Heart of UK Energy Storage

Ed Reed is a distinguished energy industry analyst and editor with over two decades of expertise in global energy markets. As a leading voice in the sector, he provides strategic insights into the evolving energy landscape, with a particular focus on the UK’s energy transition.

With broad global experience, Ed delivers authoritative analysis across the energy value chain, from upstream oil and gas to emerging clean energy technologies. His portfolio includes comprehensive coverage of the corporate LNG sector, strategic assessment of geopolitical risks in Africa and deep analysis of energy transition challenges.

Cameron is an Associate in Pinsent Masons’ Energy Transactions & Project Structures team based out of the Manchester Office at No.1 St Michael’s. He regularly advises energy companies, developers and public authorities on a range of public and private sector concession, joint venture, partnership and development projects with a particular emphasis towards net-zero energy projects.

Cameron qualified as a solicitor and joined Pinsent Masons in 2021 from Manchester City Council and offers a unique perspective and understanding of both the public and private sector dynamics and wider strategic context involved in the establishment and development of partnership structures.

Cameron’s understanding of both public and private sector considerations and the interests of developers makes him an invaluable asset to the team and he regularly acts for major clients of the firm including Heathrow Airport, bp, E.ON and various public sector bodies and has recently returned from a secondment supporting bp’s Net Zero Teesside Dispatchable Power Gas Fired Power Station and the associated Northern Endurance Partnership Carbon Capture Pipeline.

Dr Mark Eldridge is Director of Hydrogen and Technology Partnerships for Element Materials Technology,  a TIC global network of 280 laboratories, supporting customers from early R&D, regulatory approvals to production. www.element.com.

This portfolio covers gaseous and liquid hydrogen testing, across a broad portfolio from modelling and simulation, engineering propulsion and fuel systems to fracture mechanics and materials science. Diverse markets include defence, aerospace, space, energy infrastructures and automotive applications. Prior to joining Element, Mark led the UK energy business of Kiwa as Divisional Director for their global hydrogen focus and has worked in aerospace with GKN and across the steel industry.

Mark holds a PhD in Welding Metallurgy and has worked closely within the materials testing industry for over 20 years in various technical, operations and senior leadership roles. Enabling the hydrogen economy and supporting energy transition through materials expertise are his primary drivers.

Gary Preece MSc CEng FIET is an experienced Chartered Electrical Engineer with over 30 years of experience in the power industry and a Fellow of the UK Institution of Engineering and Technology. Completing numerous power system designs Gary is a well-respected consulting engineer and led the design team for the power system on the Type 26 Global Combat Ship, a class of frigate built for the Royal Navy that is now in production with BAE Systems.

Prior to joining Highview Power, he was the Group Power System Lead at Drax Power Ltd, where he managed the power system development across numerous projects. In addition, Gary led the power system development of new CCGT’s and Drax on-site stability systems. Gary’s division is responsible for the techno commercial analysis that identifies the system needs and creates the revenue assumptions that underpin the deployment of Highview’s LAES System.

Sarah is the Energy Transition Director for the UK and Ireland at DNV. She is a chemist by training with a PhD from University College London and a particular interest in molecules in the energy transition – these include carbon dioxide, hydrogen and the transitioning role of fossil fuels. Sarah started her career at British Gas Research in the 1980s and has worked in the energy industry ever since. She is currently based at DNV’s office on the campus at Loughborough University.