19 May 2010 13:47
19 May 2010
SeaEnergy PLC
("SeaEnergy" or "the Company")
Scottish Strategic Environment Assessment Update
SeaEnergy PLC is pleased to confirm that Marine Scotland ("MS") announced earlier today that it has progressed the Strategic Environmental Assessment ("SEA") and a draft Development Plan for offshore wind.
The Company's Beatrice and Inch Cape sites are amongst 10 sites identified by the draft Development Plan, as the short term option (2010 - 2020) for developing offshore wind. The draft Development Plan has also identified 25 additional areas as the medium term options (beyond 2020) for developing offshore wind. These two 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") as a result of their Scottish offshore wind farm application process. SERL then entered into Exclusivity Agreements with TCE in relation to the proposed development of the two Beatrice and Inch Cape sites.
There will now be a consultancy period of 12 weeks until 16 August 2010, after which it is expected that the SEA will be finalised, following which developers will enter into negotiations with TCE to acquire leases for their sites. As part of the consultation process, a series of stakeholder consultation workshops will be taken forward by MS in the coming weeks, to help explain the approach used to develop and assess the plan, and to further explore the environmental and sectoral issues raised in the process.
The SEA assesses the likely impact upon the environment of offshore wind developments including cumulative effects from more than one development, and from other types of developments. The SEA is designed to help ensure that Scotland's future commercial offshore wind resource is developed sustainably, and to inform developers when they carry out EIAs (as they are required to do to obtain the necessary consents).
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, Richard Swindells
Kreab Gavin Anderson +44 20 7074 1800
Ken Cronin, Kate Hill, Andrew Jones
www.seaenergy-plc.com
NOTES TO EDITORS
SeaEnergy PLC is the only listed pure play offshore wind energy company in the UK. SeaEnergy Renewables Limited ("SERL") is an 80% owned 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.
SEA.L (SEA)