Long Duration Energy Storage Council Announces New Board Leadership for Future Growth

20 MARCH 2023 – BRUSSELS – The Long Duration Energy Storage Council (“LDES Council”) announced today that the organization elected its 2023-2024 Board of Directors. The Board of Directors will set the long-term vision for the Council, determine priorities, and steer its strategy.

“We are seeing unprecedented growth and global momentum for long duration energy storage (LDES),” said LDES Council Executive Director Julia Souder. “As the LDES Council enters its second year of operations, we are confident that the Board of Directors will provide the knowledge and expertise to drive the narrative of the industry and amplify the opportunity for LDES to serve as a flexible, secure, necessary and reliable source of clean energy. LDES enables more cost-effective renewables like wind and solar, and the diverse technologies ensure that we can reach our global net-zero targets and goal of 8TW of LDES by 2040.”

The directors were nominated and elected by the LDES Council’s membership, which comprises executives of long duration energy storage technology providers, equipment providers, renewable energy companies, utilities, grid operators, investors and end-use customers. The approved slate includes four newly elected board members and seven board members who are serving the second of a two-year term. The Board is representative of both anchor and technology members and showcases the broad spectrum of experience, deep knowledge, and well-rounded diverse set of backgrounds and technologies.

The 2023-2024 LDES Council Board of Directors includes:

  • Vijay Betanabhatla of SLB New Energy*
  • Jim Cabot of Breakthrough Energy
  • Marco Ferrara of Form Energy*
  • Michael Geyer of Malta (Board Co-president)
  • Madeleine Gilborne of Alfa Laval*
  • Upma Koul of Sumitomo SHI FW
  • Maria Letizia Magaldi of Magaldi Green Energy
  • Jon Norman of Hydrostor*
  • Rune Sonne Bundgaard-Jørgensen of Ørsted
  • Frank Wouters of Reliance Industries Limited (Board Co-president)
  • Joe Zhou of Quidnet Energy

*Indicates newly elected for 2023-2024 Board of Directors term

“Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) is crucial to deliver the full potential of renewable energy while enhancing the reliability and resilience of the power grid. I am honored to join the LDES Council board to accelerate the adoption of this important technology,” said Vijay Betanabhatla, Head of Power Grid at SLB New Energy.

“I’m honored and excited to join the LDES Council board and look forward to working with the directors, the executive management team, and the member companies to drive market development and develop the quantitative insight that substantiates the critical role of long duration energy storage in decarbonized energy systems across the globe,” said Marco Ferrara, Senior Vice President, Software & Analytics at Form Energy.

Madeleine Gilborne, Head of Clean Technologies, Vice President Energy Division at Alfa Laval stated, “I am honored to be elected to LDES council board. I believe that only by working together with leading stakeholders and members of the council, we can accelerate the deployment of the crucial LDES technologies, and scale and commercialize them to reach net zero in time.”

Jon Norman of Hydrostor added, “Hydrostor looks forward to working with the LDES Council as a Board Member, and continuing the critical development of compressed air energy storage solutions that are available today using mature supply chains and technologies to allow net-zero emission goals achievable at a very large scale.”

LDES Council Board Co-President Frank Wouters, Senior Vice President of Reliance Industries Limited concluded, “I’m honored to again lead this impressive board of directors, and looking forward to forging the path forward toward our zero harmful emissions future with long duration energy storage as a critical component of the clean energy transition."

LDES Council Board Co-President Michael Geyer, Managing Director of European affiliates of Malta expressed, “I’m honored to continue leading this highly expert board of directors, and to make together long duration energy storage a key for the success of energy transition from fossil fuel burning to carbon free energy generation while securing at all times coverage of the energy demand.”

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About the LDES Council

The LDES Council is a global non-profit with over 60 members in 19 countries. The Council works to accelerate the decarbonization of our world through the acceleration of long-duration energy storage. It provides member-driven, fact-based guidance and research to governments, grid operators and major electricity users on the deployment of long-duration energy storage for society's benefit. An executive-led organization, the LDES Council spans a wide range of energy storage technologies and includes among its members technology innovators, energy users and investors. The Council publishes findings and reports to encourage the wide adoption of long duration energy storage to replace the use of fossil fuels and accelerate carbon neutrality. Learn more at www.ldescouncil.com.

Media Contact:
Larissa Fair, Director of Communications, North America
lfair@ldescouncil.com