Spotlight on Associate: Susannah Ferris
In this ongoing series of member case studies, Jordanne Allsopp, IGEM Marketing Communications Coordinator speaks to our members about their careers to date and how IGEM has supported them so far. In this instalment, she chats with Susannah (Suki) Ferris, Business Development Manager at National Gas. This is her story.
Suki’s career with National Gas began in 2017 when she joined the company’s graduate scheme, during which she worked for the gas system operator, as well as for National Gas Ventures on the IFA electricity interconnector between England and France.
Since completing the scheme, Suki has continued to work for the gas system operator where she has been responsible for leading several National Gas initiatives including the Gas 10-Year Statement. This outlines the activities National Gas will undertake over the next 10 years and the Gas Future Operability Planning programme, exploring how the changing energy landscape could impact the role of the operator.
Suki’s current role is in the markets team, where she leads the Hydrogen Gas Market Plan (GMaP) – a stakeholder-led programme exploring the key market change activities needed to integrate hydrogen into the UK’s energy mix. Examples of completed projects include exploring a commercial framework that could enable a hydrogen town and the role a UK hydrogen guarantee of origin scheme could play in driving a low carbon hydrogen market in the UK.
Suki said: “I am currently working with industry to explore how the existing gas market design may need to evolve to accommodate Project Union, the National Gas Gas Transmission project that aims to repurpose 25 per cent of the existing national transmission system to 100 per cent hydrogen.”
As for standout moments in her career to date, Suki includes achieving bronze place at the IGEM YPPC for her work on hydrogen guarantees of origin (GoO) – a first of a kind project exploring how GoOs could play a key role in driving a UK hydrogen economy. Recalling the experience, Suki said: “I had a fantastic time. It provides the opportunity to meet and hear from gas colleagues in the UK and Hong Kong and to gain insight into emerging developments within the gas industry. It also gave me the opportunity to share and gain feedback on my own work on hydrogen guarantees of origin at this prestigious IGEM platform.”
She added: “I have also had brilliant opportunities to be the National Gas Gas Lead for several hydrogen focused innovation projects, including the feasibility study for Project Cavendish (exploring the development of a blue hydrogen hub for the South East of England), HyScale (exploring the role liquid organic hydrogen carriers could play in providing bulk hydrogen storage) as well as leading the commercial workstream on hydrogen deblending phase 2 (exploring the market framework to enable deblending technology on the gas networks).”
Asked about her thoughts on women in the gas industry, Suki said: “Over the span of my five-year career, it’s been really encouraging to see the emphasis, dialogue and ambition of bringing women and all under-represented minorities into the gas industry. We need to keep going with this and we all have a part to play in encouraging and supporting a diverse workforce.”
Suki joined IGEM as an Associate member in 2021. “Becoming an IGEM member has many benefits,” she said. “Since joining, I’ve been engaging with IGEM events and digesting the brilliant Gi magazine as well as the Hydrogen Knowledge Centre to keep up to date on the latest gas industry developments. IGEM is a hugely helpful resource, both for information sharing and networking.
“You can play a meaningful role at IGEM and within the gas industry, and you do not have to be an engineer. Diversity of thought and experience will be key to the success and growth of the gas industry, where there are equally valuable roles for non-engineers.
“To share my own experience, I completed an Anthropology MSc in Energy and Society at the Durham Energy Institute, focusing on the social issues around energy transitions and global politics of energy development. I chose to study this because I have spent most of my life overseas, and I have experienced a range of different energy realities. My degree ignited my passion and drive to work in the energy sector, where I’ve had a really rewarding career so far.”
As for her next career steps, Suki says they’ll definitely be in the low carbon energy transition space, focused on harnessing sustainable and renewable energy resources to drive the hydrogen transition.