Decarbonisation group seeks new boss as CEO prepares to step down

The chief executive of North East Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (Neccus) has announced plans to step down.

Ronnie Quinn will head for the exit door at the end of June, after just shy of two years at the helm of the Scottish decarbonisation group.

Neccus – pronounced “nexus” – is now on the lookout for an “outstanding individual to take up the mantle”, with a job posting already up.

Mr Quinn took over at the group – the organiser of the recent DeCarbScotland conference – in June 2021 at a crucial time for the carbon capture and storage (CCS) sector.

At that point, the results of the UK Government’s CCS funding competition were still under wraps, and hopes were high that the Scottish Cluster would be one of the winners.

It was announced just a few months later that the bid, with Aberdeenshire’s Acorn project at its heart, had lost out to submissions from the north-east and north-west of England.

Prior to joining Neccus, Mr Quinn held top positions at ScotWind organiser Crown Estate Scotland, and the Scottish Council for Development and Industry.

In a statement, he said:

“It is with regret that I will be standing down as CEO of Neccus at the end of June. As the recent DeCarbScotland event has shown, Neccus is a vibrant and growing organisation and advocates strongly for industrial decarbonisation.

“I will miss working with the board, the team, and our valued members, but I want to assure of my best wishes for the future of Neccus and my enduring interest in the goals of industrial decarbonisation.”

The search is on for Mr Quinn’s replacement, with Neccus seeking an individual with “excellent knowledge of the Scottish Industrial sector both onshore and offshore”.

They will also have a “strong familiarity with the renewables industry”, as well as “excellent understanding” of CCS and hydrogen technologies and economies.

Ronnie Quinn is leaving.