Maxime Biret has been interested in engineering and the energy sector for as long has he can remember. In high school he gained invaluable engineering work experience by undertaking placements at companies doing subcontracting work for Airbus. Another longstanding ambition of his was to work abroad and from a young age he set about becoming proficient in a second language.
All of this led Maxime to enrolling on an energy and engineering course at a university in his home country of France which also offered international exchange opportunities. In 2013 Maxime undertook an ERASMUS year and joined Edinburgh Napier as a third-year student.
“I was only meant to stay for one year, but everything was going well, I thought, well, why not stay for another one!”
One reason why the experience was so positive was because of Maxime’s extracurricular activities. When he moved to Edinburgh, he made the conscious decision to make the most of his time in Scotland. This involved meeting as many people as he could and experiencing different cultures. He was also involved in multiple sports clubs, one of which was the Kayak Club.
A keen kayaker who competed to a high level in France, Maxime jumped at the change to join ENU’s student club. Within a few weeks he was appointed coach of the Canoe Polo team. In 2014 Maxime founded The Titans Canoe Club – an independent club dedicated to competing at the highest level. They are based in Edinburgh but welcome members from across Scotland and are 6-time Scottish Champions in Canoe-Polo, making them the most successful club in the country.
After two years studying at Edinburgh Napier University, Maxime graduated with honours in 2015. He was now faced with two paths he could take: 1. join a graduate programme or 2. do a Masters. He explored both routes to see which one stuck.
“Graduate schemes in the UK work differently to those in France, so I didn’t realise the scope of the progress and I left it too late to apply. Instead, I started applying to postgraduate programmes and got accepted into institutions in the USA and Australia, but then I found out the cost so that plan was scrapped!”
Maxime worked in a bar for a few months after graduation. Although he had missed the boat for graduate schemes, he wanted to remain in Scotland and started applying for other programmes. One of these was to be a trainee team manager at the Scottish Gas Network (SGN) and to his surprise he was successful!
“It was a two-year programme where you learn about different roles in the company, learn from experience colleagues, prove yourself and at the end of it you become a manager. I didn’t meet their operational experience requirements, however I applied anyway thinking my background, problem solving skills, innovative mindset and personality had something else to offer. I’m really grateful I was given the opportunity.”
Maxime has been with SGN ever since. His career has progressed rapidly, and he is now H100 Fife Distribution Manager. In this role he is one of the managers overseeing the H100 Fife Project which aims to heat homes using 100% Green hydrogen instead of carbon-emitting natural gas.
“One of the big challenges with energy transition to net zero is storage. People may drive past a windfarm and be confused as to why they are not turning. They may think they are broken. However, with electricity you either use it or you lose it. If there is not enough demand at that particular moment in time, then there is no point in generating electricity as you can’t store it.
“That’s where the H100 Fife Project comes in. It’s a first-of-its-kind demonstration project in Buckhaven, Fife, that’s leading the way in decarbonising home heating using 100% green hydrogen gas to customers for the first time. Clean Power will be generated by a 7MW offshore wind turbine, then will power an electrolysis plant designed to produce green hydrogen. This hydrogen will then be stored in purpose-built tanks and used to heat 300 homes in Buckhaven and Denbeath.
“This world first project will be providing evidence for future low-carbon policy decisions and a clear path towards net zero heating for Scotland and the UK.
“I’m responsible for the safe delivery of all operational activities link to the new Hydrogen gas network built, which will transports the hydrogen from the production plant to the customers’ homes.”
Edinburgh Napier provided Maxime with a lot of opportunities, and he is keen to give back to the University to support the next generation of students. In 2021 Maxime partnered with ENU on a project to redesign old SGN fossil fuel sites for good. He has also advertised SGN placement opportunities via the student and graduate job board.