STAMFORD, Conn – Equinor announced today the appointment of Samuel Byrne as Vice President of Operations at Equinor Renewables Americas.
Byrne brings extensive experience in the renewable energy sector to Equinor. He most recently served as Vice President responsible for Operations & Maintenance at Vestas Wind Systems in Asia-Pacific for both onshore and offshore wind farms, as well as solar and battery storage sites. His responsibilities covered 13 countries and approximately 15GW of wind farms either in operations or being commissioned, and he previously worked in the company’s corporate strategy and M&A divisions.
Byrne’s responsibilities will include leading and overseeing Equinor’s US offshore wind operations and maintenance activities, while ensuring development and execution of safe, efficient, and cost-effective operations. He will be accountable for the safety and security of people as well as Equinor’s US offshore wind assets.
“We are thrilled to welcome Samuel Byrne to Equinor,” said Molly Morris, President of Equinor Renewables Americas. “His extensive experience in the renewable energy sector, coupled with his proven track record in managing large-scale projects, will be invaluable as we continue to build and expand Equinor’s renewable energy portfolio in the U.S. I look forward to drawing on Sam’s long track record of developing safe and efficient renewable energy projects as we move closer to construction of Empire Wind and Beacon Wind.”
“Equinor is at the forefront of the energy transition and I look forward to joining the company’s talented team that is developing market-leading offshore wind, energy storage and other projects in the U.S,” said Byrne.
Byrne also worked previously for McKinsey & Co., where he primarily focused on the energy sector in the U.S., Latin America, and Europe. He holds a B.A. in Economics from Yale University and an M.A. in International Economics and International Relations with a concentration in Energy, Resources, and Environment from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.
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Equinor is one of the largest offshore wind developers in the world. Its work in the United States includes the operation of two lease areas off New York, Empire Wind and Beacon Wind. The projects plan to provide New York State with 3.3 gigawatts (GWs) of energy — enough to power nearly two million homes—including more than 2 GWs from Empire Wind and 1,230 megawatts from Beacon Wind. Equinor has also been awarded a lease area on the Outer Continental Shelf off California. The United States is an attractive growth market for Equinor, with an ambition to install 12-16 GW of renewables capacity globally by 2030. For more information, visit. www.equinor.com/NY.
