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Working together

30/06/2010 | Channel: Renewable Energy

Energy industry leaders are urging subsea businesses to get involved in the rapidly growing offshore renewables energy sector.

Enormous opportunities exist for subsea companies who are willing to seize the work, said Andrew Donaldson, offshore engineering manager of Scottish Southern Energy. Speaking at the All Energy conference in Aberdeen, Donaldson said there has been a recognisable shift in collaboration between the traditional subsea and offshore renewables sectors. Donaldson revealed that 50 per cent of the costs of renewables projects are operational and issued an invitation to the subsea industry to transfer its skills and knowledge into this newly emerging global sector, which already employs 40,000 people in 800 companies in the UK, generating revenues of £6 billion.

Xodus group subsea director, Graeme Rogerson, welcomed the invitation and agreed the two industries are showing signs of recognising each other’s talents and expertise and are trying at last to pave a future together.

Graeme said: “For the first time I’ve heard a key speaker at a renewables event talk about inspection, maintenance and repair (IMR) issues and associated costs. This is particularly encouraging because it reflects our understanding at Xodus that appropriately managed IMR will be critical to the success of renewables developments. The conventional subsea skills set, in particular integrity management systems, risk based inspection strategies and online monitoring systems are wholly transferable.”