18 Mar 2011 13:37
18 March 2011
SeaEnergy PLC
("SeaEnergy" or "the Company")
Scottish Strategic Environment Assessment Update
SeaEnergy welcomes the completion of the Strategic Environmental Assessment ("SEA") and public consultation process by the Scottish Government, undertaken to determine the most appropriate locations for placing wind energy devices in the sea, around the entire Scottish coast.
The Company is pleased to confirm that its Beatrice and Inch Cape sites are amongst the sites identified as suitable for developing offshore wind under the short term option (2010 - 2020) by the SEA.
The assessment examined likely impact of offshore wind developments, including the cumulative effects from more than one development, and from other types of developments. The SEA was designed to help ensure that Scotland's future commercial offshore wind resource is developed sustainably, and to inform developers when they carry out Environmental Impact Assessments ("EIA") as they are required to do to obtain the necessary consents.
The 920MW Beatrice and 905MW Inch Cape sites were awarded to SeaEnergy Renewables Limited ("SERL"), the Company's 80% owned subsidiary, and its co-venturers in February 2009 by The Crown Estate ("TCE") in the Scottish offshore wind farm application process. The publication of the SEA will now allow Agreements for Lease to be negotiated and finalised between the respective developers and TCE.
Work has already commenced on both Beatrice and Inch Cape.
Beatrice
Met-ocean surveys over the Beatrice site were concluded in February 2011 by SERL and its partner SSE Renewables ("SSER") and initial site geotechnical investigations were successfully undertaken during January 2011. Information from these surveys will support ongoing conceptual engineering work. Environmental baseline surveys for the project are ongoing and cumulative impact methods are being finalised in conjunction with the adjacent Round 3 Moray Firth project in which SERL also has an interest. All Round 3 sites, including Moray Firth, had their SEA concluded before the sites were awarded.
Preparation of a consent application for export related works both offshore and onshore began in late 2010. Route options are being evaluated and environmental and site investigation surveys will commence shortly and continue through the middle of 2011.
The data gathered from all of these activities will form a part of an EIA which will accompany consent applications scheduled for submission in late 2011.
Inch Cape
Operating under an Interim Development Agreement ("IDA") work commenced on Inch Cape during 2010 and excellent progress has been made. The offshore bird and mammal surveys have been underway since September 2010 and a geophysical survey of the site is complete. The selection process for contractors to undertake the EIA and concept engineering work for Inch Cape are at an advanced stage. We are also planning to undertake a number of additional offshore surveys over the next six months.
Joel Staadecker, CEO of SERL, said: "We are delighted that the strategic environmental assessment has confirmed that the Beatrice and Inch Cape sites are suitable for development. Together they represent almost 2 GW of renewable power, which will make a significant contribution to meeting the UK's targets for carbon-free electricity generation."
Steven Bertram, Managing Director of SeaEnergy PLC, said "We were always confident that the SEA would not have adverse findings for Beatrice and Inch Cape, but securing that confirmation is a significant step forward and de-risks the projects. I hope this important milestone will help us move closer to closing the SERL sale process."
For further information contact:
SeaEnergy PLC +44 1224 748 480
Steven Bertram - Managing Director
Ambrian Partners Limited - NOMAD & Broker +44 20 7634 4700
Andrew Craig, Ben Wright
Kreab Gavin Anderson +44 20 7074 1800
Ken Cronin, Kate Hill, Andrew Jones
www.seaenergy-plc.com
NOTES TO EDITORS
SeaEnergy PLC
SeaEnergy PLC is the only listed pure play offshore wind energy company in the UK. SeaEnergy Renewables Limited (SERL) is a subsidiary of the Company and is made up of the team which conceived, developed and delivered the world's first deep water wind farm development - the Beatrice Demonstrator offshore wind farm (10MW) (the "Beatrice Demonstrator Project") which is owned and operated by Talisman Energy. The Beatrice Demonstrator Project involved the installation of the two largest wind turbines (5MW each) ever deployed offshore, at water depths of 45 metres. This, combined with the SERL team's expertise in delivering deep water offshore developments in the oil and gas industry, puts SeaEnergy in an unrivalled position at the vanguard of the emerging offshore renewables industry.
Prior to the UK Round 3 award SERL had secured a 25% interest in two Scottish offshore wind farm sites, Beatrice and Inch Cape. The award of Zone 1 in the UK Round 3 leasing programme with partners EDP Renováveis takes SERL's net capacity in the UK to over 781MW. SERL has also signed a Heads of Terms Agreement to develop offshore wind farms in Taiwan with Taiwan Generations Corporation and a Strategic Cooperation Agreement with Nantong COSCO Ship Steel Structure Co. Ltd (NCSC) to develop and market steel structures for the offshore wind industry.
Beatrice
The Beatrice Offshore Wind Farm is located 9 miles off the east coast of Scotland in the Moray Firth and covers 49 Sq miles and is adjacent to the two existing Beatrice Demonstrator turbines installed by Talisman Energy Inc. and Scottish and Southern Energy plc ("SSE"). SERL holds a 25% interest in the application with a subsidiary of SSER holding the other 75%.
Inch Cape
The Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm is located 10 miles off the east coast of Scotland in the Outer Tay Estuary and covers 58 Sq Miles. SERL currently holds a 25% interest in the application and is operating under an IDA with TCE.