Breaking news - Scottish/Portugese JV to Bid for Beatrice Development

The race for some of the UKs most hotly contested wind energy licences gained pace today as it was revealed that Seaenergy Renewables, the Scottish offshore wind developer are teaming up with Portuguese partners EDP renewables to bid for the development of the Beatrice field in Scotlands Moray Firth.

In his blog, Highlands & Islands MSP Rob Gibson revealed that;

"[He] was able to discuss the developments planned by SeaEnergy and their Portuguese partners EDP renewables, the fourth largest wind farm developer in the world. Their target is to turn the successful Beatrice Field experiment from two offshore wind towers to hundreds. They have the licences from the Crown Estate Commission and the capacity to produce three to five gigawatts within ten years. "

As discussed in Depthcharge recently, the extension of Beatrice would provide a massive economic boost for the area, benefiting many companies affected by the downturn in North Sea revenues. A development of the size proposed by the joint venture could result in hundreds of new jobs being created for the nearby areas of Nigg and Invergordon.

Beatrice is currently the home to the two-turbine Beatrice demonstrator project, a project developed by Talisman Energy and Scottish and Southern Electric. Now considered a bastian of deepwater wind farm development, the trial comprised a series of feats never before attempted offshore, including:

• The first ever use of the world’s largest wind turbines (5MW) offshore;
• The first ever use of a “jacket” sub-sea structure for an offshore wind turbine;
• The first ever deployment of a wind turbine in deepwater (45 metres); and
• The first ever assembly of a turbine, tower, rotor, and blades onshore for installation in one piece offshore.

Shortly after the Beatrice project was completed, key members of the Talisman and SSE team struck out on their own to form Seaenergy Renewables, now a subsidiary of AIM-listed Ramco Energy.

Though a relatively new company, Seaenergy have already achieved notable success, winning the second and third largest offshore wind licences in the Scottish territorial licensing round last month, partnering Npower Renewables and Airtricity.