We caught up with David and he explained his own journey in helping the UK reach net zero
What is your career history working at ScottishPower?
Ten years ago I was Coal & Ash Operations Manager at Longannet Power Station, responsible for the movement and blending of millions of tonnes of coal per year. Prior to that I was an operations engineer at the Cockenzie Power Station. These plants, with a combined output of 3,600MW, were Scotland’s largest coal-fired power stations.
When and why did you move into a greener role?
I began my personal journey to net zero by moving to become Operations & Maintenance Manager at the Cruachan pumped storage power station. Renewable technologies were having an ever-increasing impact on system operations at that time, and our operating modes and cycles were evolved to suit that fast-changing environment. Experiencing these changes provided me with an insight to future operational requirements.
Now I am Head of Technical Training, responsible for the technical training of ScottishPower staff and external contractors assisting us in delivering our net zero and growth ambitions.
The changes that have taken place in the past ten-years are truly remarkable: Personally, I have moved from shifting trainloads of coal around the country to managing the delivery of training on Low and Zero Carbon Technologies. Collectively, we are only partway on our journey to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.