BP names new head of wind power business

By Ron Bousso

LONDON (Reuters) - The head of BP's wind energy business Laura Folse will retire at the end of month, three years after taking the role, a company spokesman said on Monday.

Folse, who joined BP in 1982, will be replaced by Al Vickers, currently vice president of technical functions in the operations of BP's upstream, or oil and gas, business. He will be Houston based.

BP's wind division includes 11 onshore wind farms in the United States and is one the biggest renewable energy businesses among the world's top oil and gas producers. It has a generating capacity of approximately 1,800 megawatts.

"Laura has been instrumental in significantly increasing the performance of the business, driving a culture of safety and compliance, and leading the industry in operational and industrial metrics," Dev Sanyal, BP's head of alternative energy, said in comments provided by a company spokesman.

London-based BP, and its European peers including Royal Dutch Shell and Total, are trying to rapidly grow their renewable operations as economies seek to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to fight climate change.

(This story corrects sourcing to company spokesman.)

(Reporting by Ron Bousso; editing by David Evans)