Low Carbon Energy Agreement w

RNS Number : 4633P

Scottish & Southern Energy PLC

16 July 2010

 



LOW CARBON ENERGY AGREEMENT WITH MITSUBISHI

Mitsubishi (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd and Mitsubishi Power Systems Europe Ltd) and SSE (Scottish and Southern Energy plc) have entered into a strategic agreement to co-operate on low carbon energy developments.

The agreement will enable the partners to explore a range of technologies including offshore wind farms, advanced technology for smart electricity grids and low carbon vehicles, carbon capture and storage and high-efficiency power generation.

Mitsubishi and SSE are working together to become strategic partners in low carbon electricity production and management and in low carbon transport technology.  They hope to establish joint development projects, ventures, investments and supply arrangements through this agreement.

SSE established a Centre of Engineering Excellence in Renewable Energy in partnership with the University of Strathclyde in 2009, with over 300 skilled professional jobs to be created by SSE over three years. 

The agreement with Mitsubishi will build on this, and is expected to lead to up to 100 additional new, highly-skilled, engineering-based jobs being created at the Centre.  Employment at the Centre expected to grow further, as other suppliers of services and products related to offshore wind energy development and other partners join SSE and Mitsubishi in locating engineering-related jobs there.  It is on course to reach around 1,000 jobs over the next five years.

Subject to the progress of the agreement, SSE and Mitsubishi intend to focus on, in the first instance, the delivery of renewable energy from offshore sites and the deployment of low carbon vehicles. 

In May 2010, the Offshore Valuation Group, a collaboration of government and industry organisations, said that the development of the UK's offshore resource could generate the electricity equivalent of one billion barrels of oil per year, or the same as the average annual output of UK North Sea oil and gas over the past four decades.

Colin Hood, Chief Operating Officer of SSE, said:

"This agreement represents one of the most significant industrial partnerships to be established in Scotland since the heyday of North Sea oil - and low carbon energy represents Scotland's biggest economic opportunity since then.  As the UK's broadest-based energy company, SSE has extensive interests and opportunities in low carbon developments, and our partnership with Mitsubishi should help us to make the most of them."

Mr Ichiro Fukue, Senior Executive Vice President of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, said:

 "I am delighted to be working closely with SSE on the important challenge of moving towards a low carbon economy. The two great island nations of the United Kingdom and Japan are providing global leadership in this field, and it is very satisfying for me to be building on the links between MHI and Scotland that were established in the 1860s by Thomas Glover. Mr Glover was a key person assisting the industrialisation of Japan through his support for the foundation of the origin of our company, Nagasaki Shipyard."

Mr Akio Fukui, Chief Executive Officer of Mitsubishi Power Systems Europe, said:

"I am delighted to have the opportunity to work even more closely with colleagues from SSE in these very exciting areas of low carbon technology. The move to low carbon is a major step, and we look forward to working in partnership in Scotland, and growing our UK headquartered business."

 

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