When former British Army officer Paul Hazell arrives at Ørsted’s Hornsea Two offshore wind farm each day, he brings the same mission focus and leadership that guided him through 26 years in the Royal Artillery.
He’s not alone. Across Ørsted’s UK operations, many ex-servicemen and women are applying battlefield-honed skills to the business of building and operating wind farms. Ørsted – a global leader in offshore wind – has quietly become a standout example of how military veterans can thrive in the renewable energy and maritime sector, to the benefit of both the individuals and the company.
From military service to offshore energy leadership
Ørsted signed the Armed Forces Covenant in 2019, signalling its commitment to be a “forces-friendly” employer in the offshore wind industry. Since then, the company has worked alongside the Career Transition Partnership to establish tailored pathways for service leavers and refined its recruitment processes to attract diverse talent. Ørsted already employs many former Army, Navy and RAF personnel on its projects both offshore and onshore across the UK. “In our experience, service veterans possess many transferable skills and qualities which have led to a successful transition to careers in the offshore wind industry,” says Matthew Wright, Ørsted’s UK Managing Director. By formalising its pledge with the Covenant, Ørsted has ensured that those who serve or have served – and their families – are treated with fairness and respect in its workplaces.
Veterans have not only joined Ørsted’s technician ranks but have moved into management. Paul Hazell, for example, transitioned from a long Army career into a role as an operations manager at Hornsea Two, the world’s largest offshore wind farm. He admits that working in renewables was an “unexpected privilege” after leaving the forces, but also found it an easy fit. “The Army values and standards very much align with Ørsted’s guiding principles,” Paul notes, which gave him confidence his skills and work ethic would be well suited. Today, he leads teams ensuring turbines deliver power to millions of homes – a mission that appeals to his sense of purpose. Importantly, he’s found a built-in camaraderie: “We have so many veterans across the East Coast that the stories, banter and common relationships are very much alive, which creates a very welcoming and supportive community during and after that transition to civilian life.”
Veterans on the wind farm and beyond
Walk into Ørsted’s operational base in Grimsby or onto a turbine service vessel, and you’ll find ex-forces personnel in a variety of roles. Many gravitate to the structured, team-focused environment of offshore operations, where their background in following procedures, working in extreme conditions, and maintaining equipment under pressure serves them well. Some examples of veterans at Ørsted include:
- A former Royal Artillery soldier who now manages operations at the Hornsea Two wind farm, drawing on decades of military leadership to keep a complex offshore project on track.
- A Royal Navy marine engineer who started as a wind turbine technician and rose to deputy operations manager, helping ensure turbines at Westermost Rough Offshore Wind Farm run safely and efficiently. As he puts it, “working in a high-pressure environment, with huge responsibility and living with your colleagues day in day out really set me up for my current role.”
- A Royal Engineers veteran now working as a wind turbine technician at Burbo Bank Offshore Wind Farm. “Discipline, teamwork, flexibility and integrity” are among the qualities he gained in 9 years of Army service that translate “really well to [the] offshore wind industry.” The rigorous training and standards of the armed forces mean “potential candidates are generally a very high standard,” he says.
- A former RAF aircraft electrician serving as a high-voltage specialist on Ørsted’s Walney wind farm, leveraging the electrical expertise he honed maintaining fighter jets to now keep turbine systems humming. The biggest change, he jokes, is “the major difference is turbines instead of fast jets!” Like many ex-forces colleagues, he found the transition straightforward and has thrived in Ørsted’s tight-knit, “family” culture offshore.
These veterans credit Ørsted’s supportive culture for enabling their success. They report that the company values their background and provides mentorship from fellow ex-military colleagues. A former Army engineer on Ørsted’s team notes that having other veterans on crew helps newcomers adjust quickly – much like joining a new unit. The result is a strong peer network spanning technicians to senior specialists, all bonded by shared service values.
Military precision meets renewable energy
Ørsted’s veteran hires are more than a feel-good story – they are a strategic asset in the company’s drive for operational excellence and safety at sea. Operating an offshore wind farm is all about process, precision and teamwork – principles that align closely with military training. Every day on a wind farm involves coordinating crews, adhering to strict safety protocols, and solving problems in real time to prevent outages. Ex-service members, with their ingrained sense of duty and methodical approach, tend to excel in this environment. “My time in the forces gave me the skills and experience to thrive in the renewable industry,” says Ash Hedges, a former Royal Navy engineer who now leads operations on a wind farm. Having learned to maintain critical systems on warships, he found it natural to apply those skills to wind turbines towering 150 metres above the sea.
Military veterans also bring exceptional leadership and risk management abilities on top of their technical know-how. In the armed forces, many learned to do more with less and to adapt under pressure – exactly the mindset needed when balancing maintenance schedules with unpredictable marine weather. Veterans at Ørsted have been instrumental in troubleshooting mechanical issues in the field and proposing process improvements, honed by years of solving logistical and engineering challenges in uniform. Their presence has boosted the company’s resilience: they show up on time, put safety first, and take ownership of meeting production targets – traits any employer would prize. As one Ørsted manager observes, ex-forces staff “have so much to offer in the wind industry… the veterans’ stories and banter on site actually drive a culture of continuous improvement” in day-to-day operations.
Crucially, the confidence veterans gained through service empowers them to lead by example offshore. Whether it’s a former Army NCO running a complex lift operation or a Navy veteran conducting meticulous safety checks, military precision is helping Ørsted build a world-class safety culture. The company’s safety briefings and drills often feel familiar to those who’ve experienced military exercises – and that familiarity breeds confidence and compliance. In an industry where attention to detail can avert accidents, having staff who instinctively follow protocols and speak up about hazards is a major asset.
“Veterans have so much to offer as technicians or in office roles,” says Paul Hazell, pointing to the mix of ex-forces talent at Ørsted sites. He notes that their varied service backgrounds – engineering, logistics, communications, combat – all converge to strengthen Ørsted’s mission of keeping the turbines turning. Each veteran brings a unique perspective from the military, but they share an ability to work as a team in challenging environments, whether on a field deployment or on a North Sea wind platform.
A covenant of support and shared values
Ørsted’s success with veteran employees is the product of deliberate policy and a culture that values service. Since signing the Armed Forces Covenant, the company has rolled out initiatives to support reservists and military families in its workforce. Ørsted’s HR policies strive to offer flexibility in granting leave for reservists’ training or deployments and for spouses during a partner’s tour. This means no employee has to choose between serving their country and advancing their civilian career. Additionally, the company actively promotes itself as an armed-forces friendly organisation – from featuring veteran success stories in recruitment materials to ensuring hiring managers understand military qualifications.
Working closely with defence recruitment networks, Ørsted regularly attends military career fairs and runs insight events to showcase pathways into the offshore wind sector. The company collaborates with charities and training providers to help ex-forces candidates gain any extra certifications they need, such as offshore safety or technical qualifications. For example, many new veteran hires take industry courses in sea survival or wind turbine maintenance – often using their Enhanced Learning Credits – with Ørsted’s guidance. “We are refining our recruitment processes to ensure that we attract and retain new talent from a wide range of sources, as well as supporting and employing people in the communities where we operate,” Matthew Wright explains. In practice, this means translating military skills into renewable energy roles and providing mentoring so that veterans can progress in the company.
Perhaps most importantly, Ørsted has fostered an internal armed forces community. Veterans across different wind farms stay connected, share advice, and even mark occasions like Remembrance together. That camaraderie eases the transition for new joiners fresh out of the forces. As RAF veteran Glenn Connell notes, “I’ve not found anyone at Ørsted who I couldn’t speak to and ask for advice… There is a family atmosphere here.” From senior executives to apprentices, those who have served form an informal support network that reflects the military’s own esprit de corps.
For service leavers eyeing the maritime and energy industries, Ørsted’s example sends a powerful message. Offshore energy roles may not have been the obvious civilian path for an infantry soldier or navy engineer a decade ago, but today they’re eminently attainable and rewarding for ex-forces personnel. The global growth of wind power means opportunities to work at sea, troubleshoot high-tech machinery, and even travel overseas – all in a sector that values the very qualities ingrained by military life. “The life skills and experience I have at 34 years old is a credit to my training and the Royal Navy,” says Ash Hedges of his second career. He and hundreds of others have found a new mission in driving Britain’s green energy revolution.
The armed forces teach people to lead teams, maintain critical equipment, follow strict safety procedures, and adapt under pressure. Ørsted and companies like it need those capabilities on their wind farms and in their project offices. With veteran-friendly employers actively seeking military talent, initiatives like the Covenant in place, and training pathways into sectors like renewables expanding, the transition from uniform to offshore industry is smoother than ever.
As Ørsted’s experience shows, when veterans swap camo kit for high-vis jackets and harnesses, it’s a win-win. The individuals find a new sense of purpose and stable employment with clear prospects for advancement, while the company gains resilient, loyal team members dedicated to keeping the turbines turning. “Veterans… are proving to be just the right calibre to drive operational excellence” in the civilian sector, and Ørsted’s powerful wind farm performance is living proof.
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