HOUSTON — As the new national lead for hydrogen at WSP USA, an engineering and professional services consultancy, Andres Fernandez sees tremendous opportunities to guide the firm’s energy clients through “the forefront of an energy transition wave” in the U.S.

“It is exciting to be part of a company that is willing to invest in Future Ready® solutions,” Fernandez said. “We have the opportunity to leverage WSP’s leadership position in underground energy storage, including hydrogen, to deliver solutions for our clients in various components of the hydrogen economy, such as power transmission, renewable energies, industry, transportation, water and environment, data centers, and buildings.”

Fernandez, who joined the firm in 2017, will now lead the firm’s efforts in shaping the hydrogen economy, helping clients to achieve their environmental, social, and governance targets by focusing on carbon reduction and promoting new energy sources. 

He previously served as a vice president for major Energy projects, focusing on the management of large, complex projects for WSP clients and supporting project managers in the delivery of numerous projects. He initially joined WSP as the country manager for Peru — a position he also held earlier in his career for Golder, now a WSP company.

“Andres is an inspiring and knowledgeable leader, and I am pleased to have the opportunity to continue working with him in this new and critical role at a pivotal time for WSP and the energy industry,” said Roger Blair, WSP national energy business line executive. “His diverse global background in the Energy business provides him with a unique perspective on the innovative solutions our clients will need for their hydrogen energy storage and distribution projects and the mitigation of environmental impacts. He will support the development of efficient strategies to help them achieve their financial, environmental and operational goals.”

As a project manager, Fernandez led the Phillips 66 underground storage project in Brazoria County, Texas, a challenging project where WSP delivered two large caverns and a leaching facility ahead of schedule and on budget. He is currently supporting the Advanced Clean Energy Storage (ACES) project in Utah that is on track to becoming the largest green hydrogen storage facility in the U.S.

Fernandez graduated from the University of California-Irvine with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, Stanford University with a master’s degree in structural engineering, and holds an executive master’s degree in business administration from the San Telmo Business School in Saville, Spain. He is a certified Project Management Professional, Portfolio Management Professional, and a member of WSP USA’s Inclusion and Diversity Council.

WSP works with clients around the world to develop low-carbon hydrogen production processes, localized hydrogen generation, and distribution networks and hydrogen storage facilities. The firm can assemble a global team of subject matter experts to meet the technical and financial requirements for producing, distributing and storing hydrogen. WSP’s global experience in relation to the hydrogen economy includes supporting the development of hydrogen production facilities, delivering integrated hydrogen and carbon capture projects and supporting the development of hydrogen storage caverns. For more information, visit www.wsp.com.