Industrial Use and Switching

Helena Anderson, Ikigai Capital

Helena Anderson is COO of Ikigai, described by nominees as a leading consultant in the hydrogen sector. She has brought together investors, industry, government and academic through her work on the Thames Estuary Growth Board, which has driven the development of a hydrogen deployment strategy for the southeast of England.

Michele Azalbert, formerly Engie

Michele Azalbert held the role of CEO of Engie’s Hydrogen Business Unit between 2018-2022, having previously led the firm’s LNG division as COO. She focuses on the use of hydrogen in energy as a long-term storage solution for a renewables-dominated grid, in mobility as a zero-emission fuel and in heavy industry to replace grey hydrogen or natural gas.

Naomi Boness, Stanford Natural Gas Initiative

Naomi Boness is the managing director for Stanford’s Natural Gas Initiative and Hydrogen Initiative, which conduct research to maximise the benefits and minimise the environmental impact of these gases. She works with major hydrogen users to identify opportunities to switch to low-carbon hydrogen supply.

Maryam Brown, SoCalGas

Maryam Brown is president at the Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas), a subsidiary of Sempra Energy which provides natural gas to Los Angeles and a number of other southern Californian counties. In February 2022, Socalgas announced the Los Angeles Link project, a pipeline network potentially capable of delivering 1.5bn t/yr of hydrogen to replace a quarter of natural gas in its distribution system.

Rana Ghoneim, UNIDO

Rana Ghoneim leads the Industrial Deep Decarbonization Initiative (IDDI) for the UN Industrial Development Organisation, which brings together a strong coalition of private sector partners and multilateral organisations, including Mission Possible Platform, LeadIT, IRENA and the World Bank. She oversees UNIDO's strategy and programmes in promoting low-carbon infrastructure powering both industrialisation and decarbonisation.

Barbara Jinks, IRENA

Barbara Jinks is the programme manager for green gas delivery and use at IRENA. Drawing on over 35 years in the gas industry—from greenfield projects to international corporate roles—she focuses on how hydrogen and biomethane can be used in the push for decarbonisation.

Madadh MacLaine, Zero Emission Ship Technology Association

Madadh  MacLaine has founded and is the driving force behind the Zero Emission Ship Technology Association, which advocates for the use of hydrogen to decarbonise the shipping sector. In addition to communicating with the IMO, she has set up an extensive network of shipowners, policymakers, researchers and technology providers.

Andrea Rodgers, BOC

Andrea Rodgers led BOC’s engineering in the ‘HyNet’ trials in the northwest of England, proving hydrogen as a replacement combustion fuel in diverse industrial applications. HyNet has recently qualified for track 1 status for state support by the UK government. Nominees note that the engineering team on this project was 50pc female.

Jessica Verhagen, Hydra Energy

Jessica Verhagen is CEO of Hydra Energy, which aims to decarbonise the heavy-duty trucking industry. The firm currently use a hydrogen-as-a-service business model and provide hydrogen-diesel retrofits, which the company claims allow it to decarbonise existing fleet vehicles up to 40pc per truck. In October, Hydra became the first company to deliver a hydrogen-converted, heavy-duty truck to a paying customer, and the company plans to build the world’s largest hydrogen refuelling station for startup in mid-2023.

Katherine Zimmermann, Wood

Katherine Zimmermann assists Wood’s oil and gas clients in understanding the role hydrogen can play in the energy transition and push for net zero. Nominees note her engagement and collaboration with local groups to pursue hydrogen hub development in Houston.