Glasgow to house SSE renewable energy centre of excellence
Friday 09 October 2009
Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) has chosen to build a Centre of Engineering Excellence for Renewable Energy (CEERE) in Glasgow after receiving £2.8 million in funding from the Scottish Government.
The decision to build the centre in Glasgow was made on Wednesday (7 October). CEERE will manage the development, design, engineering, project management, procurement and asset monitoring of SSE's portfolio of onshore and offshore wind farms in Europe
This is a significant commitment and investment in Glasgow and in Scotland
The Scottish Government has provided £2.8 million of funding for the centre under the Regional Selective Assistance programme and it will be created in partnership with the University of Strathclyde - the UK's leading university in power engineering and energy research.
Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond said: "I'm delighted that Scottish and Southern Energy - the UK's largest generator of electricity from renewables - has decided to establish its Centre of Engineering Excellence in Glasgow. This is a significant commitment and investment by SSE in Glasgow and in Scotland, creating some 250 high quality jobs and safeguarding a further 70.
"Furthermore this initiative positions Glasgow to be at the epicentre of a key strand of 21st century engineering, just as the city dominated the engineering ages of the past. The regional selective assistance that we are providing has helped secure a substantial economic boost for Glasgow and deliver a major development to strengthen Scotland's position as a global leader in low carbon energy," he added.
CEERE will be developed over the next three years at an estimated cost of £20m.
Until the development is completed, SSE has secured short-term accommodation at the University. SSE and the University of Strathclyde are already partners in the Sustainable Glasgow consortium - aimed at helping Glasgow City Council realise its vision of making Glasgow the most sustainable city in Europe within 10 years.
SSE chief executive, Ian Marchant, said: "Our Centre of Excellence, which will be known as CEERE, will play a crucial part in helping SSE to realise its renewable energy goals in the UK, Ireland and elsewhere in Europe, helping to secure energy supplies and contributing to the development of a lower carbon economy."
"Scotland's ambition to become a leader in renewable energy is well known and we are delighted to be making this investment in Scotland. We're very positive about the prospects for creating new jobs to harness Europe's renewable energy resources and the potential to make a significant contribution to the achievement of Scotland's ambitions," he added.
Professor Jim McDonald, principal of the University of Strathclyde, said: "If we are to address the challenges of climate change, rapid and widespread deployment of renewable energy technologies is critical."
"This new partnership reflects Scotland's potential to be at the forefront of the UK and European renewable energy sectors, creating new jobs and research and development opportunities," he added.
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