02 August 2022

James Fisher Renewables backs APAC offshore wind growth with six in-market appointments for Korea and Taiwan

James Fisher Renewables announces six new appointments for the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, cementing its commitment to boost local capacity and accelerate the global energy transition.

These appointments include Matthew Paterson, as APAC operations director, and James Wu, country manager Taiwan, as well as the new post of country manager South Korea which has been taken up by Francisco Roh.

The appointments will see JF Renewables strengthen its presence in Taiwan which will form the company’s knowledge hub for the region, while launching a physical presence in South Korea for the first time. Having doubled its team over the last year, further plans to expand in this region include Japan and Vietnam in the mid-term, with longer term sights set on Australia and the Philippines.

Following on from the appointment of Maida Zahirovic as APAC regional vice-president at the start of this year, this expansion marks an important milestone for JF Renewables as it looks to bridge the gap between European and APAC renewables growth. With over a decade of lessons learned in Europe, including its expertise in the extremes to navigate complex weather challenges and superior commitment to safety and risk management, JF Renewables is perfectly poised to expedite the roll-out of offshore wind projects in a safe, sustainable way for the nascent APAC region.

Maida Zahirovic, APAC regional vice-president, JF Renewables comments:

“It’s exciting to see so much ambition to accelerate the development of renewables in the region, but it’s also important to remember that the industry is still in relative infancy. The challenge now is to harness lessons learned from Europe and integrate them into novel supply chains effectively and safely. Having country managers on location, like James and Francisco, headed up with operational direction from Matthew will allow us to do just that, while simultaneously nurturing local partnerships and training new talents.”

While the energy transition presents a plethora of job opportunities, the industry is also navigating a skills gap that threatens to stall progress without a conscious, strategic approach. Having teams on the ground will enable JF Renewables to engage with local content partners, governments and universities, assessing the need for training and development and ensuring the safe, sustainable upskilling of new local talents.

Matthew Paterson, APAC operations director, JF Renewables comments:

“In the midst of a global climate emergency, the need has never been more pressing to support the roll-out of cleaner energy sources; and the APAC region is ripe for development. While there is no more time to delay, it needs to be done in-step with local communities, maintaining an acute focus on safety and sustainable growth. JF Renewables has done a fantastic job setting the benchmark for this in Europe. It’s a model which we intend to replicate with our partners across the APAC region for the long-term and has already begun through our engagement with local governments and universities.”

Alongside Taiwan, South Korea has been earmarked as the next country with significant offshore wind growth potential.

Francisco Roh, country manager South Korea, JF Renewables comments:

“As one of the first movers in Asia to adopt a net-zero by 2050 goal, and an ambitious offshore wind target of 12GW capacity by 2030, South Korea has well and truly thrown down its clean energy gauntlet. This new role will allow us to grow our in-market partnerships and affirms our commitment to burgeoning markets throughout the region. With onshore wind projects facing permitting and connectivity challenges, offshore wind is predicted to be South Korea’s most important energy source in the coming years; it’s the perfect time to be entering this market and I’m excited to be working with JF Renewables to support this growth.”

James Fisher Renewables selects APAC appointments

The news follows the recent announcement of two Taiwan partnerships with Dong Fang (DFO) and Ho Lung Power Engineering (HLPE). A full list of new hires can be viewed below.

New hires

Matthew Paterson, APAC Operations Director

Francisco Roh, Country Manager Korea

Elin Tao, Head of Finance

Jenny Hsu, Office Management Specialist

James Wu, Country Manager Taiwan

Devon Kao, Senior Sales Manager

◀ Return to Press releases