Leading renewable energy consultancy and service provider, Natural Power, has appointed Christopher Smith as Head of Grid Services - a newly created role dedicated to supporting clients to navigate the challenges and secure grid connection for new projects.

He joins from PSC (Power System Consultants) where he was Technical Director, Renewables and HVDC; and before that, was Head of Interconnector Asset Strategy & Innovation for National Grid Ventures.

At Natural Power, Chris' new role will be expanding the grid services offering and strengthening the delivery team by pooling expertise across the business, from design, environmental planning, consenting and construction.

Keith Burns, Commercial Director at Natural Power, said: "Chris has extensive technical, operational and leadership experience across a variety of renewable energy technologies and collaborative projects. We're delighted that he's joining our team to develop this invaluable new service to support our client base to successfully navigate the grid connection process and streamline the journey to bringing new renewable energy projects online."

Chris is a professional engineer with more than 25 years of experience in capital projects and innovative technology development in the transmission, energy, and FMCG industries. Leading multi-disciplinary engineering teams, his experience has been gained throughout the complete project lifecycle with customers, suppliers and partners globally.

Chris added: "I'm excited to join the team here at Natural Power. The reforms being delivered in transmission and distribution grids will have a significant impact on how our clients connect to the Grid. I look forward to helping our clients make these transitions as smooth as possible."