Red Rock Power Limited and Eni have formed a new 50/50 partnership as they prepare to make a joint bid with the support of transmission company, Transmission Investment in the forthcoming ScotWind offshore leasing round

• The energy companies combine their expertise to strengthen ScotWind proposition and collaborate on future projects
• Partnership will maximise opportunities to transition oil and gas workforce and for future decarbonisation of North Sea energy operations
• Transmission Investment are also partnering on the bid bringing their wealth of transmission expertise

Scottish offshore wind developer, Red Rock Power Limited and Eni, the Italian energy company, have formed a new 50/50 partnership as they prepare to make a joint bid with the support of transmission company, Transmission Investment in the forthcoming ScotWind offshore leasing round. The companies will also consider future renewable opportunities in Scotland and combine their wind farm development and offshore expertise, harnessing a common desire to support the net zero transition.

The partnership’s future offshore wind projects in particular would prioritise maximising opportunities for local supply chain growth, the development and deployment of new technologies, and contributing to the decarbonisation of the North Sea and the transfer of skills this will generate.

Guy Madgwick, Red Rock Power CEO, said: “Securing a partner to enable us to capitalise on our existing offshore wind development expertise and levelling-up our offshore construction experience ahead of the ScotWind bid was a key priority for us this year. Eni brings a wealth of offshore expertise from the oil and gas sector that offers significant value in potential projects moving forward. Our priority right now is formulating a competitive proposition which would allow us to expand while maximising opportunities for Scotland’s wind sector and supply chain.  We recognise the vast potential in collaborating with an energy company like Eni to deliver net zero targets in the North Sea and see this as an opportunity to further champion the transition of its skilled workforce into renewables. I come from an oil and gas background, as do many of our team, and we recognise that there are significant learnings and transferable skills the wind industry can benefit from.”

Alessandro Della Zoppa, Head of Renewables in Eni Gas & Luce, said: “We are glad to enter into a partnership with Red Rock Power for the ScotWind bid. Red Rock Power’s team brings significant experience in this sector and specifically in Scotland. We are confident that this collaboration will support Eni’s ambition to achieve its renewables targets, as well as contributing to the development of Scotland’s role in the decarbonisation of the North Sea. The success of ScotWind will be crucial for developing the local industry in this sector and for positioning new technologies in a growing global market. Eni is committed to a Just Transition underlining a constant commitment to enhancing people’s value while seizing the opportunities offered by possible developments in the energy market, this is our driver as we continue our transformation journey”.

Eni is continuing to expand its renewables portfolio as its works towards delivering 60 GW installed capacity by 2050. It made its first step in the offshore wind sector by acquiring a 20 per cent stake in the Dogger Bank Offshore Wind project in December 2020 and owns and operates a number of solar and onshore wind projects inside and outside Europe. Moreover Eni, the University of Strathclyde and Eni Corporate University have recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop and deliver a programme to help professionals and workforces working in the oil and gas sector in Scotland to transfer their skills to the renewable energy technologies, creating high value Scottish jobs.

Transmission Investment will bring to the ScotWind bid partnership its extensive expertise in grid infrastructure, a key area of focus for UK offshore wind and for ScotWind. With an industry leading track record in the acquisition and management of GB offshore wind farms connections, and offshore wind generation and interconnector sector development experience, Transmission Investment is well placed to contribute to the expansion of the Scottish electricity sector in general, and Scottish offshore wind in particular.