Mainstream founder steps down from CEO role

The chief executive of clean energy developer Mainstream Renewable Power has stepped down, nine years after establishing the company.

Eddie O’Connor will remain with the company in the role of executive chairman while Andy Kinsella, chief operating officer at Mainstream, will replace him.

Kinsella joined the company upon its formation in 2008 from Irish utility ESB and headed the group’s offshore wind business before becoming chief operating officer in 2014. He has worked on power projects for Siemens and GE in the past.

“Andy Kinsella has been managing Mainstream’s operations for a number of years and has enormous experience of financing and constructing large power projects around the world,” O’Connor said. “I am very confident that Andy can lead the company to the next stage of its journey and capitalise on the enormous success we have had in recent years in developing wind and solar plants in the most promising, fast-growing markets of the world.”

Mainstream’s current focus is on emerging markets such as Vietnam and Chile. Last month, it sealed $410 million in project financing for two Chilean wind farms, as part of its joint venture with Actis. The company won a tender last year to build nearly 1GW of wind power in the South American country.