Offshore wind energy partnership welcomes Justine Gilliland as Partnerships Director

BlueFloat Energy, Energy Estate and Elemental Group who are jointly developing offshore wind energy in Aotearoa New Zealand, are thrilled to announce the appointment of Justine Gilliland as Partnerships Director.
Justine joins the team after her role as CEO of the regional development agency, Venture Taranaki (VT), where she was instrumental in building national awareness of the opportunity that offshore wind energy presents for New Zealand.
“I am excited by the potential of offshore wind energy for Aotearoa New Zealand’s low-emissions energy future. The momentum has built rapidly from the release of Venture Taranaki’s discussion paper and first national offshore wind forum in late 2020, to the Offshore Future Energy Forum run by Venture Taranaki and Ara Ake in late 2022. The scale of the opportunity is underscored further in VT’s concept paper on Power to X for Aotearoa; the potential for New Zealand’s green, inclusive and innovative future is marked. It is exciting to be able to continue to be at the forefront of its development,” says Justine.
The partnership brings together complementary skill sets and experience in the global offshore wind industry coupled with a deep understanding of the New Zealand energy sector and aims to accelerate decarbonisation by supporting new reliable and low-cost generation, providing 24/7 power for industry, encouraging new industry, and creating skilled and enduring jobs in Taranaki and other locations across the country.
As Partnerships Director, Justine will be looking to collaborate with a range of stakeholders and partners to help create and build New Zealand’s offshore wind energy industry, supporting a successful transition to a low-emissions energy future. A key aim is to help ensure robust domestic supply chain capacity and support large emissions reductions across major industries.
“Partnering is a core value for each of Energy Estate, BlueFloat Energy and Elemental Group, and that resonates with me personally,” says Justine.
Nick Jackson, Chair and Director, Transition and Brett Rogers Director, Development, of Elemental Group, welcomed Justine and recognised her contribution to the establishment of the sector to date.
“We are very pleased to have Justine working with our team and helping us to build enduring partnerships as we progress sustainable and beneficial development of the offshore wind industry” says Nick.
BlueFloat Energy’s Senior Development Advisor for APAC, Jarek Pole commented “BlueFloat Energy sees partnerships with iwi, government and local stakeholders as critical to fostering the growth of a NZ offshore wind industry and local supply chain. We warmly Justine to our growing team of committed professionals.” “Building an offshore wind industry in New Zealand will require enduring partnerships to be formed locally, across the Tasman, and globally. Justine’s track record and enthusiasm is exactly what we need as the industry moves from inception to delivery.” commented Rosie King, Director, Engagement and Culture for Energy Estate.
Justine is an independent director of four organisations, across the R&D, health, and food sectors, and a tourism innovation advisory group member. Prior to her role as Chief Executive of Venture Taranaki, Justine held senior roles in the New Zealand public service across strategy, communications, policy and operations, covering the primary/food, property rights, and construction sectors among others.
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About BlueFloat Energy
With a corporate vision of accelerating the global deployment of offshore wind as a key enabler for the energy transition and economic growth, BlueFloat Energy is developing offshore wind energy projects in multiple geographies.
For more information please visit: http://bluefloat.com
About Elemental Elemental Group is an international energy developer dedicated to providing better energy outcomes for our clients. We deliver world class solutions for a world in energy transition, ranging from remote Pacific island communities to megacities. We wake up aiming to create enduring benefits for people and place. We are diverse, smart, hard-working and innovative, with services across science, engineering, environment, project management and finance.
For more information please visit: https://elementalgroup.com
About Energy Estate
Energy Estate’s mission is to accelerate the transformation of the energy sector and the decarbonisation of industry. We are developing and accelerating a portfolio of renewable energy, storage and green hydrogen projects in Australia, NZ, US and other markets. A key driver for Energy Estate is supporting the communities in which we operate and delivering enduring outcomes for all stakeholders including landowners, workers and indigenous/First Nations people. We believe in the reindustrialisation of industrial communities with low-carbon solutions.
For more information please visit: http://energyestate.com