Wind News

Tuesday 28 October 2008

SeaEnergy's management team already has experience in offshore wind through the SSE and Talisman Energy wind farm installed in the Beatrice oilfield in 2007 (photo: Marketwire/Talisman Energy Inc)

Aberdeen-based company SeaEnergy Renewables has revealed that it is working with Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) to develop offshore wind projects in Scottish waters.

The company set up this summer and 88% owned by oil firm Ramco Energy has signed a deal with SSE subsidiary Airtricity to develop projects within the Crown Estate's current Scottish offshore wind programme.

SeaEnergy holds a 25% stake in the venture with Airtricity, but is also bidding for a Scottish offshore wind lease from the Crown Estate separately to the Airtricity deal.

Updating its investors yesterday concerning its first four months of progress, the company said it expects the Crown Estate to announce which bidders have been successful in obtaining a lease for new Scottish offshore wind farms by December 31, 2008.

Members of the SeaEnergy Renewables team have already worked to complete the deepwater demonstration turbines at the Beatrice offshore wind farm, along with SSE and Talisman Energy. That particular project involved establishing two giant 5MW turbines - the largest in the world - in sea depths of 45 metres.

The company now has ambitions to develop up to 5GW of generating capacity within 10 years, owning 1GW within five years.

RBC Capital Markets, part of the Royal Bank of Canada, has been appointed to advise SeaEnergy on financial matters.

Management team

Yesterday also saw former SSE board member David Sigsworth confirmed as a new non-executive director for SeaEnergy. Mr Sigsworth, who retired in March 2005 after 43 years in the energy sector, including responsibility for 10GW of generating capacity and £1 billion worth of investments in renewable energy at SSE.

Updating investors, Ramco chairman Steve Remp said: "The SeaEnergy team have achieved a great deal in a relatively short space of time. We are delighted to be working alongside a leading utility such as SSE.

"We are also delighted to welcome someone of David's calibre to the SeaEnergy board. He has an unrivalled wealth of experience and expertise which will be invaluable to the Company going forward. We look forward to working with him," Mr Remp added.

SeaEnergy's senior team includes chief executive Joel Staadecker, who comes from a venture capital background and developed the concept of the company with Ramco chairman Steve Remp.

The team also includes former Beatrice Wind Farm project directors Allan MacAskill as business development director and Ronnie Bonnar as operations director, as well as the former SSE offshore wind development manager Dan Finch as SeaEnergy's generation manager.