A green energy designer has been remembered for proposing cleaner methods of processing the island’s waste, including innovative ways of treating wastewater from Hamilton.

Edward Gillam was commended by entrepreneur Mohamed Hamza as leaving “a legacy of innovation and commitment to sustainability”.

Mr Hamza, the operator of the green energy firm Dragonfly, said Mr Gillam came to Bermuda with dreams for “a waste-to-energy system that would harness the island’s organic waste to produce power, promote vertical farming and manufacture fertilisers”.

Dragonfly, which has proposed converting sewage into energy in the form of methane, drew interest from Mr Gillam after the parties met through a chance encounter with a mutual friend 15 years ago.

The British engineer’s death in July at age 70 came as the island continues with extensive upgrades to its water and wastewater infrastructure.

Mr Hamza said Mr Gillam, a project manager who worked on energy-from-waste projects with European companies M+W Group as well as Babcock & Wilcox Volund, accepted his invitation to visit the island in 2011 and explore how the island treated its waste.

Mr Gillam was also director of the consultancy firm Sted Cross Management in Newcastle upon Tyne.

He returned to Bermuda in 2015 to help deliver a presentation on using the Tudor Hill site in Southampton, a former secret US Navy communications base, for a hydroponic farming facility.

Mr Hamza said his friend also envisaged Bermuda converting wastewater and organic waste from Hamilton into “valuable resources, providing electricity to local resorts, nutritious food through hydroponic farming and high-quality fertilisers for local and export markets”.

Mr Hamza said the island continued to send much of its organic waste to the Tynes Bay Incinerator, where the wet material hindered the burning process.

He added: “By incorporating cutting-edge practices and technologies, Edward envisioned Bermuda becoming a benchmark for sustainable development in island nations.”

Mr Hamza added: “His dedication to making a positive impact on the island’s future was unwavering and he tirelessly pursued this goal over seven years.”