Green thinker

It is not surprising then that she has worked in renewable energy during her eight-year career with BP. 'Renewable energy has to be a major part of the solution to the world's energy problem,' she states. 'I cannot see a future without it.'

She talks confidently about her subject but is diffident when talking about herself. Her self-deprecating manner, combined with a gentle sense of humour, give the impression that she is still rather surprised by her achievements.

Following a degree in chemistry and German, Eager planned to find a job in the renewable energy sector. However, her university supervisor had a different idea. She persuaded Eager to study for a PhD in chemical engineering through the UK government-funded Postgraduate Training Partnership (PTP) programme.

Although registered as a student with the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, Eager spent the majority of her time pursuing her PhD at EA Technology, a power asset management company. 'The company was looking at energy efficiency and cleaning up energy processes - areas associated with my own interests.

'The PTP programme is a complete win-win situation. I received an enhanced grant, I worked in a community of postgraduate students within EA Technology, gained three years' industrial experience which included management training and, on top of that, I received a PhD.'

Nevertheless, it housed a group of high-powered researchers and technologists. Eager worked as part of this team, researching advanced production techniques in the manufacture of silicon solar cells. She notched up a breakthrough success when she evaluated environmentally friendly coatings for a solar cell, leading to the introduction of a new silver coating. This went into trial and underwent thermal cycling and humidity testing before being scaled up for production at BP's Tres Cantos manufacturing site in Madrid.

In 2004, when the European Technology Centre transferred to Spain, Eager opted to stay in the UK. She moved out of laboratory work to become a performance analyst in the then gas, power and renewables business of BP. Located at BP's main offices in Sunbury, the 'small' company environment suddenly became large. 'The job provided an excellent overview of BP and its extensive technology portfolio - including solar,' she recalls.

Fortuitously, she became involved in work that led to the launch in 2005 of BP Alternative Energy. Drawing together all of BP's interests in zero- and low-carbon power generation, including wind, solar, biofuels and carbon management, the new company combined everything that Eager was passionate about.

She applied for a job and became a technology manager in the wind sector. 'This was the perfect job. I was in the heart of the renewables business, working in the rapidly growing market of wind power and at the forefront of technology - assessing how we could best use and develop it to improve BP's business.'

Although BP's business has since grown significantly, developing major projects onshore in the USA, it has not ventured offshore - despite extensive offshore experience in its oil and gas business.

'Those companies that had built offshore wind farms were discovering that onshore turbines worked less well offshore,' she notes. 'The problem of maintaining turbines when they're inaccessible due to bad weather and high waves was just one of the issues that showed the need for a different approach offshore.'

Eager drew together a panel of external offshore wind farm experts - turbine suppliers, cable manufacturers and vessel companies - to talk to BP's offshore oil and gas experts. The former highlighted the full range of challenges for an offshore wind farm. 'Those of us in BP then discussed whether or not we could solve all the problems with our internal experts,' she explains. 'We decided we could.'

Following that, Eager became part of the team that created a plan for an offshore wind business. It was accepted and given the go-ahead by BP's senior management. She then worked with the business to prepare BP's bid for the UK government's Round 3 development of offshore wind farms.

As a result, Eager's job has changed. She is part of the BP Alternative Energy ventures team taking an innovative approach to finding and investing in novel technologies that will enhance the performance and competitiveness of BP's wind and solar businesses - in a clean technology sector that is changing fast.

She has also joined the UK's Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) strategic advisory group, representing BP. Additionally, she is involved in one of the ETI-funded projects, working alongside power systems company Rolls-Royce and the power and gas company E.ON, looking at innovative ways of investigating the reliability of wind turbines.

Looking to the future, Eager takes both short- and long-term views. For the short term, she is concentrating on her second baby - due in August - and taking maternity leave.

As for the longer term back at work? 'I want to stay in renewable energy,' she says. 'BP invests more in this area than any other major international oil company. We can make a big difference and it will take a big company to do that. Renewables are what I believe in.'