Oil and gas explorer Ramco announced yesterday further details of its strategy for diversification into renewable energy.
Aberdeen-based Ramco said its 88%-owned subsidiary SeaEnergy Renewables, laun-ched in June, hoped to secure acreage for offshore windfarm schemes in Scottish waters through joint ventures.
Ramco revealed last month it was participating in both the UK and separate Scottish bidding processes for award of leases for industrial-scale offshore windfarm sites.
Yesterday, SeaEnergy chief executive Joel Staadecker said the subsidiary had teamed up with industry partners to make three separate bids in the Crown Estate’s current Scottish licensing round.
Further applications for offshore windfarm acreage will be made in time for next year’s deadline for bids in the UK round, he added.
Announcing its latest steps towards developing, project managing, owning and operating large-scale marine energy schemes, Ramco said one of the bids in the Scottish licensing round involved a joint venture between SeaEnergy and windfarm developer Airtricity.
The two other bids submitted are both with a separate, undisclosed partner.
Mr Staadecker said SeaEnergy, which has a 25% stake in the joint venture with Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE)-owned Airtricity, had the right people and expertise in place to act quickly in developing sites if one or more of its current applications succeeds.
The results of the Scottish round are expected to be announced by the Crown Estates by December 31.
Ramco also announced the appointment of former SSE board member David Sigsworth as a non-executive director of SeaEnergy, bolstering an already strong team.
Before retiring from SSE’s board in 2005, Mr Sigsworth had responsibility for all the Perth-based power firm’s environmental issues and managed one of the largest and most diverse power generation fleets in the UK.
He was also responsible for a £1billion programme of investments in renewable generation technologies.
Projects included a large new hydro scheme on Loch Ness, tidal stream developments, and various micro-generation systems as well as major on and offshore windfarms, including the Beatrice development in the Moray Firth.
Mr Sigsworth currently holds three chairmanships at Sigma Capital Group, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, and Dundee Science Centre.
He is also vice-president of the Combined Heat and Power Association, a board member of Energy Action Scotland, member of the advisory boards of ITI Energy and the New and Renewable Energy Centre, and a trustee of think-tank Sustainability First.
Ramco chairman Steve Remp said Mr Sigsworth’s “unrivalled wealth of experience and expertise” would be invaluable to the company going forward.
SeaEnergy has appointed Royal Bank of Canada as financial adviser to help with funding requirements.
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