vice chair, CurrENT

Biography

Christian Kjaer has more than 20 years of experience in the global renewable energy sector. He started his career in the wind energy sector in 1998. He is currently working as Chief Public Affairs Advisor and member of the Executive Team at SuperNode Ltd. In Dublin, Ireland. SuperNode Ltd. is a cutting- edge global technology company that develops terrestrial and subsea superconducting power transmission systems to connect offshore renewable energy generation and facilitate grid interconnection. SuperNode Ltd. is co-owned by Irish renewable energy entrepreneur, Dr. Eddie O’Connor and Norwegian offshore industrial group Aker Horizons. Christian currently serves as Deputy Chair of Irish industry association Wind Energy Ireland’s FLOSH Committee (Floating offshore wind, the Supergrid, and Hydrogen) and is Chair of Wind energy Ireland’s Working Group on EU Energy Policy. He serves as Vice Chair of currENT, the European Association representing innovative grid technology companies. Christian was CEO of the European wind energy sector’s lobby group WindEurope in Brussels for seven years (2006-2013) and the organisation’s policy director for four years prior to that. Christian has been Head of Unit in the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in Abu Dhabi, senior adviser at the Nordic Council of Ministers’ energy unit, Nordic Energy Research in Oslo and CEO of Danish wind energy association, WindDenmark. He holds a Masters’ Degree in International Economics and Business Administration (cand.merc. in International Business) from Copenhagen Business School and the Graduate School of International Economics and Finance at Brandeis University, Boston, USA (1997). He is a journalist and a member of the Danish Federation of Journalists, recognised by the International Federation of Journalists.