In what could be a Canadian energy industry first, Enerflex Ltd. has created a new department dedicated entirely to the energy transition.
As Enerflex’s newly appointed chief energy transition officer, Patricia Martinez and her team will drive Enerflex’s global strategy in the energy transition space while focusing on delivering low-carbon energy solutions.
Marc Rossiter, president and chief executive officer, said Enerflex has been strategically thinking about the energy transition for many years, but 2020 was a real inflection point for the company. Enerflex operates in 17 countries around the world as a leading supplier of natural gas compression, oil and gas processing, and electric power equipment, plus a range of after-market services and rental solutions.
“The realities of the energy transition crystallized for the company in 2020 when it became increasingly important for its stakeholders across multiple industries, from natural gas production and petrochemicals to distributed power generation,” said Rossiter. “It is a firmly held belief of our organization, our customers and our investors, that as a global energy company, it is the right time for us to play a real role in the energy transition.”
The new executive position will be “operationally focused” in order to build a business in energy transition that goes beyond disclosures and gets into driving new businesses within the organization. Rossiter said in a release announcing the appointment that Martinez’s “innovative mindset and ability to challenge traditional markets makes her the ideal candidate to lead this effort.”
Martinez joined the company in 2014 when Enerflex acquired Axip Energy Service’s assets. She is currently president, Latin America, a role she will retain. Over the years, Martinez has worked at Shell U.S. and Conoco Argentina. Currently she is in the process of assembling a new interdisciplinary energy transition team.
“It is really important for us to get the message across that this is not an exercise of ticking the box,” said Martinez. “Now is the time for Enerflex to apply strategic resources to extend our core competency of technical excellence in all aspects of modularized energy systems from hydrocarbon markets to new energy markets, such as renewable natural gas.”
Enerflex is already making progress toward decarbonizing its own footprint and is working closely with its oil and gas client partners as they strive to lower their GHG emissions, including projects related to carbon capture and storage, hydrogen compression, flare gas to power, renewable power projects, and electrification of compression and gas processing solutions.
“This transition is really important for natural gas and the entire natural gas ecosystem, and we all need to do our part,” said Rossiter. “As energy changes, we want to change along with it and make sure we keep serving those customers that are in it.”
