Alexander Temerko

Alexander Temerko is a Ukrainian-born British businessman and industrialist with a long career in the energy and heavy industry sectors, combined with prominent political activity in the United Kingdom. Trained as an electrical engineer and later in jurisprudence, he began his professional life in environmental engineering roles within Soviet state bodies before moving into defence administration, where he helped shape social and institutional arrangements for Russia’s post-Soviet armed forces and then led Russkoe Oruzhie, a corporation producing armaments for Russian military forces. In 2000 he entered the oil and gas industry as deputy chairman and board member of Yukos Oil Company, with responsibilities for government relations, business development and international ventures, becoming vice president in charge of interactions with state bodies. After relocating to the UK in 2004, Temerko shifted focus to offshore energy infrastructure and interconnection. From 2008 to 2017 he served as director and deputy chairman of Newcastle-based OGN Group, which provided engineering and construction services for offshore oil and gas platforms and foundations for offshore wind turbines in the North Sea and wider renewables sector. Since 2016 he has been a director of Aquind Limited, the developer of a proposed 2 GW HVDC interconnector between the UK and France designed to transmit power equivalent to about 5% of UK demand and support integration of renewable generation, with associated cross-Channel fibre-optic capacity. He describes himself as a champion of UK energy security and independence, regularly contributes commentary on Russian and European energy markets, and has been active in Conservative Party politics and free‑market policy circles, including roles in party donor groups and on the advisory council of the Institute of Economic Affairs.