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The Minister of Energy, Stephen Timms, has appointed Mr Dipesh J Shah as the new Chief Executive to the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) in succession to Dr John McKeown. He will take up his appointment on November 15, 2003.

Dipesh Shah, 50, has spent most of his career at BP plc. Before leaving BP late in 2002 he was Vice President, Acquisitions and Divestments. Prior to that he had been CEO for the Forties Pipeline System and General Manager of the BP Grangemouth complex. These assignments had been preceded by a six-year term as CEO for BP's Renewable Energy business. Dipesh Shah is currently a Non-Executive Director of Babcock International Group plc, Viridian Group plc, and Naps Systems Oy and Chairman of IT Power, the renewable energy consultancy. He has served as a member of DTI's Renewable Energy Advisory Committee (1994 ? 2002) and has on four occasions been Chairman of the European Photovoltaics (Solar) Industry Association.

Commenting on the appointment, UKAEA Chairman, Denis Tunnicliffe, said: "I am delighted to welcome Dipesh Shah to UKAEA. His considerable experience as a senior executive with BP will help lead UKAEA into the new contractual relationship with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.  In welcoming Dipesh I would like to thank John McKeown for his achievement in focussing UKAEA on its new mission of nuclear site restoration and fusion research."

Dipesh Shah commented: "I am really looking forward to working with the excellent team in UKAEA and all of its partners. I join the organisation at a time when new initiatives are being introduced. These mark the Government's strong commitment both to nuclear site clean-up, and to the development of fusion technology. I look forward to leading UKAEA in the challenges and opportunities which the next few years will bring.

I would like to pay tribute to John McKeown, my predecessor, who has left the organisation in commendable shape, ready for the challenges ahead."