SSE and Mitsubishi ink low-carbon alliance

Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) and Mitsubishi have today signed a wide-ranging agreement that will see the two companies co-operate on the development and deployment of a host of low-carbon technologies.

The strategic agreement was signed at a ceremony attended by Scottish first minister Alex Salmond and is expected to herald the creation of about 1,000 new jobs over the next five years at SSE's recently launched Centre of Engineering Excellence in Renewable Energy in Glasgow.

The two companies said they will now work together on 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.

Colin Hood, chief operating officer at SSE, hailed the agreement as "one of the most significant industrial partnerships to be established in Scotland since the heyday of North Sea oil", adding that the alliance should help SSE to cement its position as the UK's largest producer of renewable energy.

Salmond also praised the partnership as further evidence of Scotland's emergence as a leading development hub for low-carbon technologies.

"Scotland is taking a lead in the global journey to a low-carbon future through our commitment to world-leading greenhouse gas reductions and to harnessing our vast wind and marine power resources and established expertise in engineering and innovation to deliver clean, green energy," he said.

The deal also underlines Mitsubishi's growing interest in the UK renewable energy market. The Japan-based engineering conglomerate has made a series of investments in the UK's low-carbon sector in recent months, most notably announcing plans to invest £100m in a UK-based wind turbine R&D project through its Mitsubishi Power Systems division.