Utilities ScottishPower Renewables and Vattenfall have agreed a partnership to make joint bids in the third round of offshore wind power development in the UK.
ScottishPower Renewables, part of the world’s largest wind power operator and developer, Iberdrola Renovables, and Swedish state-owned Vattenfall, the world’s second-largest operator of offshore wind, said yesterday their common goal was to establish 6,000 megawatts (MW) of installed wind power capacity.
They said this would provide enough clean green energy to power 6million homes by 2020.
The partnership will take the form of a consortium combining extensive experience of offshore wind power and the financial strength to ensure a strong renewable energy bid. Applications for the third round of tenders are to be submitted to the UK’s Crown Estate by the beginning of March.
Xabier Viteri, chief executive of Iberdrola Renovables, said: “Combining the experience and knowledge of Vattenfall and ScottishPower Renewables will create an extremely strong and successful partnership.
“Round three is a very important part of the UK’s renewable aspirations and this consortium has the skills and determination to play a key role in this process.”
ScottishPower Renewables operates more than 550MW of wind energy across Britain and Ireland and is in the process of building the world’s largest onshore windfarm, Whitelee (322MW), south of Glasgow. It recently received consent for its first offshore windfarm, West of Duddon Sands (500MW), near Barrow-in-Furness.
Vattenfall has acquired British wind power companies AMEC Wind Energy and Eclipse Energy. It also said yesterday it had bought the rights to build a windfarm off Britain’s south-east coast for £35million from CRC Energy Jersey. The Thanet offshore windfarm will have a capacity of 300MW.
Meanwhile, wind turbine manfacturer REPower has agreed terms on a new UK headquarters in the centre of Edinburgh. The firm said it would move 35 staff to the new office from its existing smaller base in the west end of Edinburgh and is expected to employ 50 more people across the UK by the end of next year.
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