Meet the Team: Lee Smith | OWC Cape Town
At OWC, our teams are constantly expanding, into more locations, in expertise and in sectors of influence, so that our people can truly drive safety and sustainability across our energy and oceans.
Our people are at the heart of what we do, and we invite you to get to know our team members so you can meet the energy behind change.
Ahead of ADIPEC 2024, this week we speak to Lee Smith – Head of Offshore Renewables for Sub-Saharan Africa!
Position: Head of Renewables, Sub-Saharan Africa
Office: OWC Cape Town
Hobbies: Guitar, Music, Mountain Biking
Favourite Movie/Book/Song: My favourite film is The Godfather Part 1, my favourite book is Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek, and my favourite song is Master of Puppets by Metallica!
What does your day-to-day look like at OWC?
I typically start off with a good cup of coffee; I am an unapologetic coffee snob and am very particular about where I get morning flat white from!
I typically use my calendar as my to-list and so I have most days of the week booked out well in advance. That being said, I always have some degree of prioritisation iteration going to make sure that any incoming requests that absolutely need my attention can be delegated or taken care of it’s only me who can do it. There is always a plethora of things to approve, advise to give or guidance on direction I would suggest which keep the day interesting. The most important thing is make sure the team are having fun at what they are doing and constantly growing.
What inspired you to join your industry?
I joined the industry in 2008. It was clear that technologies to enable the green transition existed but it was clear to me that , at least in South Africa, there was significant shortage of skills and capability to execute what needed to be done. No one else that I studied with seemed to understand how important renewables were to the future and the massive opportunity for career growth albeit that defined career path didn’t exist at the time. There was complex situation where clear problem existed, means to solve were available it but a there was complete ocean of unknows in how to get there. That conundrum fascinated me and I knew that I could navigate the unknown and chart my own course. In the broader African perspective, I am driven by the challenge that ~600 million people in Africa do not have access to basic electricity and it my obligation as a native African and energy professional to make a positive contribution to solving this crisis.
Can you tell us something exciting you are working on currently?
South Africa’s renewable energy sector has been dominated for the 14 years by Government sanctioned tender rounds which are rapidly losing their relevance. The tender rounds mandate that technical advisory services are required and have provided TAs with guaranteed work, albeit uncertain in timing. A private sector has emerged in the last few years but this market does not see the benefit of technical advisor services. The private sector market is less mature and doesn’t see the benefit that TAs offer and hence the opponent for work is scarce and difficult to hunt for. My current main focus is finding the major players in the private sector market and promoting the value that we as a TA can bring. In particular, I am trying to pitch that we join projects as early on in the development phase as possible to ensure that we are hitched to the project throughout the entire lifecycle.
What does the future look like in energy and oceans in Africa?
Many African countries’ energy transition future is likely to involve a combination of gas-to-power, solar PV, onshore wind and BESS. South Africa will, hopefully, see the deployment of 2-3GW of onshore renewables every year for at least the next decade. Offshore wind may follow in time but that is only likely to be realised in >5 years from now. South Africa and its neighbours Namibia and Mozambique are actively exploring hydrogen and power-to-X projects which will also be interesting. I see a lot of synergy between OWC and other ABL Group companies in delivering holistic solutions to these projects.
Why should people join us on stand at ADIPEC 2024?
OWC is a client-centric and solution driven company. We make projects become reality through technical excellent, global market experience and pragmatism. We are a trusted and reliable partner to help you make success.
What do you enjoy most about working as part of OWC Cape Town?
The most important and outstanding element of working for OWC and ABL Group is our amazing company culture. Whenever you meet people from other parts of the company from anywhere in the world there is an instant mutual respect, common sense of purpose and genuine care for each other.