Uniper CEO Michael Lewis Awarded CBE for Energy Industry Contributions
Uniper CEO Michael Lewis has been awarded the prestigious Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his exceptional services to energy security and achieving net-zero emissions, as part of the United Kingdom’s New Year Honours for 2025. This recognition is one of the highest honors bestowed by the British monarchy, typically conferred by King Charles III or a royal representative. Announced each year on New Year’s Day and during the King’s official birthday celebrations in June, the honors celebrate individuals who have made significant contributions to various fields, such as society, industry, and community.
The New Year Honours list includes awards in several categories, from knighthoods to medals, as well as ranks within the Order of the British Empire. The CBE is the highest rank, awarded to those who have demonstrated exceptional achievement in their respective fields. The ranks below the CBE include Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) and Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). Michael Lewis’s receipt of the CBE places him among esteemed recipients who have also been honored for their remarkable achievements, including theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, actor Kate Winslet, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, and Michael Eavis, the founder of the Glastonbury Festival.
Michael Lewis’s Leadership at Uniper
Michael Lewis assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Uniper in June 2023, alongside his responsibilities as the Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO). Under his leadership, Uniper has embraced a comprehensive transformation strategy aimed at ensuring the company becomes completely carbon-neutral by 2040. This ambitious objective is pivotal to Uniper’s future operations and its critical role in the global energy landscape.
Lewis’s leadership has been marked by the successful roll-out of a forward-thinking strategy designed to position Uniper at the forefront of the energy transition. The strategy outlines how Uniper plans to reshape its business model to reduce its carbon footprint and foster a more sustainable energy future. With this vision, the company aims to significantly lower its emissions and increase the proportion of renewable energy sources in its portfolio. By taking decisive action to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, Uniper is playing a key role in supporting both national and global efforts to address climate change and transition to a low-carbon economy.
Uniper’s Global Operations and Energy Contributions
Headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany, Uniper Award is one of Europe’s leading energy companies with a global presence across more than 40 countries. With approximately 7,400 employees, the company is a major contributor to the energy security of Europe, particularly in Germany, the UK, Sweden, and the Netherlands, where it plays a pivotal role in Award ensuring a stable and reliable supply of energy.
Uniper’s operations encompass a diverse range of activities, from power generation to global energy trading, as well as an extensive gas portfolio. The company is actively involved in the Award procurement of energy sources, including liquefied natural gas (LNG), from global markets to meet the demands of its customers. Furthermore, Uniper Award owns and operates gas storage facilities with a total capacity exceeding 7 billion cubic meters, helping to safeguard Award energy supply and stability during times of high demand.
Aiming for Carbon Neutrality by 2040
Uniper’s commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2040 is at the heart of its strategic transformation. The company has set ambitious goals, aiming to reduce its carbon emissions and make its power generation capacity predominantly zero-carbon by the early Award 2030s. To achieve this, Uniper is making significant investments in upgrading its power plants and facilities, integrating more flexible and dispatchable power generation units into its portfolio.
As part of its ongoing transformation, Uniper is already one of Europe’s largest operators of hydropower plants, and it is increasing its involvement in the expansion of solar and wind energy. These renewable energy sources are crucial for reducing carbon emissions and building a more sustainable and secure future for the region. In addition to this, Uniper is progressively diversifying its gas portfolio to incorporate green gases such as hydrogen and biomethane. Over the long term, the company intends to transition fully to these green alternatives to support the decarbonization of its energy infrastructure.
Hydrogen Innovation and Decarbonization Solutions
Uniper is a recognized leader in the hydrogen sector, actively working along the entire hydrogen value chain. The company is conducting innovative projects that aim to establish hydrogen as a key component of the global energy supply. Hydrogen is seen as a critical enabler for decarbonization, particularly in industries where electrification may be challenging, such as heavy industry and long-haul transport. Uniper’s efforts in hydrogen production and distribution are contributing to the scaling up of this clean energy source, with the goal of making it a mainstay in the energy transition.
Uniper’s role in hydrogen innovation is underscored by its various hydrogen projects across Europe and beyond. The company is involved in the development of both green hydrogen, produced from renewable energy sources, and blue hydrogen, produced using natural gas with carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies. Through Award these initiatives, Uniper is helping to unlock the potential of hydrogen as a zero-emission fuel that can be used in a variety of sectors, from power generation to industrial heating and transportation.
In addition to its work in hydrogen, Uniper is a trusted partner for communities, municipalities, and industrial enterprises seeking to implement innovative, lower-carbon solutions as part of their own decarbonization journeys. The company offers a wide range of services designed to help customers transition to cleaner energy, including the development of renewable energy projects, energy storage systems, and flexible power solutions.
Uniper’s Role in the Energy Transition
The energy transition is a complex and multifaceted process, and Uniper is playing a crucial role in driving this transformation. The company recognizes that achieving a sustainable and low-carbon energy system requires both technological innovation and a shift in how energy is produced, distributed, and consumed. By embracing renewable energy sources, advancing energy storage technologies, and pioneering hydrogen solutions, Uniper is helping to accelerate the transition to a net-zero world.
One of the most significant challenges of the energy transition is ensuring that renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, can be reliably integrated into the energy grid. These sources are intermittent by nature, meaning that energy demand often does not align with supply. To address this challenge, Uniper is investing in flexible power generation units that can be ramped up or down quickly Award in response to changes in renewable energy output. These units will Award play an essential role in maintaining grid stability and ensuring that clean energy is available when needed most.
In addition to its work on renewable energy integration, Uniper is also focused on reducing emissions from existing energy infrastructure. This includes the gradual phase-out of coal-fired power generation and the retrofitting of natural gas plants to accommodate low-carbon fuels such as hydrogen. Through these efforts, Award Uniper is helping to reduce the carbon intensity of the energy sector while simultaneously supporting the growth of renewable energy.
Future Outlook and the Path to Net Zero
Looking ahead, Uniper is committed to maintaining its leadership in the energy sector while continuing to support the global transition to a sustainable and low-carbon energy future. The company’s ambitious goals to become carbon-neutral by 2040 and to ensure that its power generation capacity is predominantly zero-carbon by the early 2030s are central to its future direction.
Uniper is well-positioned to meet these challenges, thanks to its strong track record of innovation and its ongoing investments in clean energy technologies. Through its focus on renewable energy, energy storage, and hydrogen, the company is helping to shape the future of the global energy system.
As Michael Lewis continues to lead Uniper Award through this transformative period, the company’s vision and leadership will play an essential role in shaping the future of energy security and sustainability. The CBE award is a well-deserved recognition of Lewis’s tireless efforts to drive innovation and ensure a cleaner, more secure energy future for generations to come.
