OSLO, NORWAY: Hege Brende has been appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of hydropower technology company Rainpower, 100 percent owned by Aker Horizons, taking over from 1 August, 2021, a news release said.
Brende joins Rainpower from the position as director of the Norwegian Geological Survey (NGU), and prior to this director at HydroCen NTNU and the Norwegian Hydropower Center. She has previously led research and development programs within hydropower and renewable energy in the EU, at Statkraft, the Norwegian renewable energy producer, and NINA, the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research.
“Hydropower plays a crucial role in the transition to a fully renewable energy system, providing necessary system flexibility and stability to support increased and faster electrification of assets, and thereby ensure sustainable industrial and societal development,” says Brende. “I look forward to joining the Rainpower team to further develop solutions to optimize hydropower production”.
“We are very pleased that Hege Brende has agreed join Rainpower, and we look forward to working with her and the Rainpower team to take the company through its next phases of development,” says Karl-Petter Løken, investment director at Aker Horizons.
Hege takes over from Vidar Borhaug, who has led Rainpower since the beginning of 2019.
Aker Horizons acquired Rainpower in 2021 to develop the company into a next-generation hydropower technology and solutions provider. Aker Horizons aims to combine the engineering and industrial software capabilities of the Aker group with Rainpower’s hydropower portfolio and experienced project organization to reposition the company for growth.
The company is 100 per cent owned by Aker Horizons and part of the company’s Sunrise investment portfolio.
Aker Horizons ASA is a planet-positive investment company dedicated to developing companies within renewable energy and other technologies that reduce emissions or promote sustainable living. The company is listed on Euronext Growth and majority owned by Aker ASA. Aker Horizons investment portfolio includes majority stakes in Aker Clean Hydrogen, Aker Offshore Wind and Aker Carbon Capture, and on 19 January 2021, the company announced an agreement to buy 75 percent of Mainstream Renewable Power, a developer and operator of wind and solar parks.