SunCable, owner of the proposed AAPowerLink project, has announced the appointment of Ryan Willemsen-Bell as its new group CEO.
Willemsen-Bell is a highly regarded executive with more than 20 years of experience across energy, retail, manufacturing, logistics, transport and business services. He joins SunCable from Origin Energy where he has spent the last 16 years working in senior roles, most recently as general manager of future fuels and carbon.
Related article: AAPowerLink ticks conditional approval from Singapore
Grok Ventures CEO Tan Kueh commented, “We are thrilled to have someone of Ryan’s experience to lead the company through its next phase of development. SunCable is on a mission to support decarbonisation of the Asia-Pacific region and Ryan’s contribution to the renewable energy sector and nation-building projects will be invaluable to SunCable as it progresses development of its flagship Australia-Asia PowerLink (AAPowerLink) project.
“Ryan joins SunCable following a very successful year for the business. In 2024, the AAPowerLink was granted Conditional Approval by the Singaporean Energy Market Authority and received State and Federal environmental approvals for the Australian portion of the project.
“Under Ryan’s leadership, we are confident SunCable will continue to build on these wins and propel the company to its next stage.”
Willemsen-Bell said, “I couldn’t be more thrilled to be working with the team behind one of the most exciting renewable generation and transmission projects in the world.
“I have spent much of my career within Australia’s energy market pursuing the adoption of emerging technologies and, most recently, developing large-scale infrastructure projects to support carbon abatement. I’m excited I can continue to focus my passion on developing a nation- and region-defining project.”
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Willemsen-Bell will work closely with SunCable’s senior leadership team and board to progress engagement across governments and other stakeholders as well as finalise subsea cable mapping, progress SunCable’s HVDC cable procurement strategy, and continue negotiations and finalising Indigenous Land Use Agreements (ILUAs).
The AAPowerLink is the world’s largest renewable energy and transmission project in development and is projected to be one of the largest economic industrial developments in Australian history.
