In January, the EU grid co-ordinator Georg Adamowitsch (Right.Foto:Thomas Machowina © Messe Berlin GmbH) asked Scotland to take part in a development group looking at building a European electricity supergrid. Improving the transmission of electricity across Europe has been identified as a priority behind the development of wave, tidal and wind energy in Scotland.

First Minister Alex Salmond met  Adamowitsch, and after the meeting  said that Scotland will take part in the working group on offshore grid planning. “That presents a significant opportunity to develop the infrastructure to export the massive quantities of green energy Scotland is capable of producing, and stands alongside our own efforts to upgrade our transmission infrastructure within the UK,” he said.

“We are already working at UK and EU level. The North Sea offshore grid has given significant impetus to our efforts to understand, develop, and deliver Scotland's offshore renewable energy potential.

“The new Scottish European Green Energy Centre, based in Aberdeen and operational from April 2009, will provide a focus for Scottish-based industry and research to be at the forefront of European and world developments in green energy.”

Salmond said Scotland has the capability to be the “green energy capital of Europe” because of the competitive advantage across a range of technologies, and with up to 25% of Europe’s offshore wind, wave and tidal energy potential.

At that time, CBI Scotland's David Lonsdale said: “Scotland is blessed with a rich abundance and mix of energy generation, and is currently an exporter of energy to the rest of the UK. The first minister is right to highlight the great potential for exports that a North Sea supergrid would offer." However, he added "But funding its construction and maintenance will require greater clarity, especially if this is expected to be on a commercial basis.”

Biding to build the SuperGrid
Now, transmission company Imera Power has jumped at the project, announcing plans to build undersea electricity grids in both the Atlantic and the North Sea. The two-year project will link up the transmission networks of the UK and Ireland, France and Belgium, Norway and Germany, and finally Ireland and France.

The Dublin-based company said its plan is for a large grid of subsea AC and DC cables which could become the "foundation" for a pan-European offshore electricity network. The "EuropaGrid" project, as it is called, could open up potential for offshore wind farms and strengthen energy security in the EU, the firm said.

Imera, part of Norwegian offshore services company, Oceanteam, announced its plans following last week's unveiling of a multi-billion euro economic recovery plan proposed by the EU Commission, which put forward billions for work on offshore electricity grids, subject to approval by Member States.

Imera has already received permission from European competition authorities for two transmission links between Wales and Ireland. And it is also currently working on new links between the UK and France and Belgium, which it said would form the starting point for its EuropaGrid project.

The company is in the process of trying to raise €100m to put toward the five projects, and is hoping to cash in on the recently announced €3.5bn EU funding package for interconnection projects. Imera's CEO, Rory O'Neill says: "Because we are a private company, we can build networks faster and cheaper than most regulated organisations.

"We also have access to the largest fleet of specialist cable-laying vessels and marine engineering expertise through our parent company, Oceanteam. (Left: Oceanteam Bourbon 101construction, support vessel)

"We truly believe that EuropaGrid is the future of electricity in Europe and we have the in-house expertise, technical knowledge, and organisational capability to make it happen."

Imera claimed that it could complete the projects within the three years stipulated by the EU Commission in last week's Economic Recovery Plan announcement. "This means that Europe can benefit from a single electricity market while harnessing the power of offshore renewable energy across the EU states," says the company.

Sources:http://newenergyfocus.com
http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk
Webs: www.imerapower.com
www.oceanteam.nl/