Posted: 30 June 2008
Renewable energy visionary honoured by UCD
Founder and CEO of Mainstream Renewable Power (2008), Eddie O’Connor has been awarded an Honorary Doctor of Science by UCD.
In 1997, O’Connor founded Airtricity Holdings Ltd and he served as the company’s chief executive until January 2008. In 2007, Airtricity’s North American Business Unit was sold to E.on for approximately $1.4bn (€995m). The remainder of the company was sold to Scottish and Southern Energy in January 2008. O’Connor is secretary of the European Wind Energy Association.
Mr O’Connor’s legacy will also include the European Offshore Supergrid which, when built, will guarantee European energy self-sufficiency and the production of carbon free electricity.
“Eddie O’Connor is a passionate man. He is passionate about his work and his family, and he is passionate about life,” said Professor Don MacElroy, Head of the UCD School of Chemical & Bioprocess Engineering.
“Eddie graduated from UCD in 1970 and I feel at liberty to say at this time that the then Professor of Chemical Engineering, the late John O’Donnell, prophetically wrote on Eddie’s undergraduate record, and I quote, ‘Mr O’Connor should do well - with experience’. Professor O’Donnell was certainly prescient but even he would admit that here, he was a little understated.”
“Today, in full acknowledgement of his remarkable contribution to the issue which, more than any other, determines our future, Eddie O’Connor returns to his Alma Mater to receive this honour.”
