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Eddie O’Connor, founder and chairman of one of Ireland’s largest clean energy company, has resigned.
- The resignation comes after O’Connor made some disparaging remarks about Africans.
- In an issued apology, O’Connor called his comments “totally inappropriate and insensitive”.
The founder and chairman of clean energy developer Mainstream Renewable Power resigned last week after his recent comments that the clean energy transition in Africa was being diminished by a lack of education in “tribal societies.”
According to Mainstream’s parent company, Aker Horizons, Eddie O’Connor has resigned with immediate effect. The Norwegian company, which bought a majority stake in mainstream earlier this year, added that Aker CEO Kristian Rokke would be the new chairman.
O’Connor had made comments during part of a panel on the energy transition at the Dublin Climate Dialogue. When asked if major economies would lead the investment needed for clean energy over the next five years, he stated that while investment is fine in major economies such as China, Europe, and the United States, it was inadequate in Africa. “When talking to ministers, prime ministers and finance ministers, they don’t have a democratic tradition. They’re mostly tribal societies; they don’t have educated executives who can do this,” he added.
O’Connor who has issued an apology for his statements which he called “totally inappropriate and insensitive,” started mainstream in 2008 with an investment of 30 million euros. Mainstream developed some of the UK’s first offshore wind farms and green energy projects in South America and Africa. The company has approximately 1.4Gw of solar and wind projects in operation or under construction and 12.5Gw projects at different stages of development.