An ‘industry stalwart’ has been appointed President of The British Compressed Gases Association (BCGA).
Chris Street takes up the leadership role of the multi-billion compressed gases sector for a two-year term. The BCGA is the UK membership body for the industrial and medical gases industry. With ‘a commitment to stringent quality, safety, and environmental measures’, the Association’s members employ 19,000 people directly, accounting for an annual turnover of £2.7 billion.
In a career within the industrial gases sector spanning almost 40 years, Chris Street has been an active BCGA member, being involved with the trade association for two decades.
BCGA CEO, Ellen Daniels, said: “We are delighted Chris Street has been appointed as the BCGA’s new President, replacing David Hurren, who steps down after a very successful two-year tenure. Chris brings a wealth of experience, having been a member for over 25 years, serving on Council for six, and having been part of a number of the technical sub-committees.”
Chris Street began his career at Air Products in 1986 after graduating from The University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology. He later worked across Asia and Europe, completing his MBA on China before a move to Air Liquide – Calgaz. He became owner and CEO of Scientific and Technical Gases in 2006, building the specialty gases company into a major international, bought by Air Liquide in 2014. After almost a decade supporting the Calgaz business, he has provided commercial expertise to the Air Liquide UK Biogas business since 2023.
Speaking at the recent BCGA Annual Conference in Manchester, he thanked outgoing President, David Hurren, and urged the industry to ‘think creatively and embrace new technologies to ensure it remains at the forefront of innovation’. He said: “David is a hard act to follow, and has been driving many of the progressive changes we have seen – including the development of our pioneering ‘Future Leaders’ programme, and his technical work with the hydrogen and technical renewables business.
“We are entering a new period, and need to ensure we help the leaders of tomorrow embrace new technology, keep ourselves relevant, and fully embrace renewable energies.”
The BCGA added: “The ‘invisible industry’ underpinning a safe, successful, and healthy nation, industrial and medical gases are essential to the existence and well-being of thousands of people in the UK every day. Industrial gases perform a wide-ranging role, supporting the manufacture of information technology, as well as key UK industrial sectors including steelmaking, refining, welding, chemical processing, and electronics. They also help keep homes warm, water clean, and food nutritious, appealing, and affordable, while medical gases play a critical role in applications including respiratory care, pain therapies, and anaesthesia.”
