Scots oil and gas companies have won contracts worth more than £5 million – which will create dozens of new jobs in Scotland – on the first day of the Sino-Scottish energy trade mission to Beijing led by First Minister Alex Salmond.
Speaking in Beijing, Salmond confirmed that seven Scottish organisations had signed deals with Chinese partners in a range of fields, including oil and gas
During the event – part of the First Minister’s fourth trade mission in five years to Hong Kong and China – Salmond said Scotland ‘is well placed to benefit from China’s strategic focus on innovation, with pedigree in key industrial sectors spread right across the country, from the North Sea oil and gas sector and the renewables expertise in the Highlands and Islands’.
He added: “China has identified innovation as absolutely crucial to its economic transformation, and access to foreign skills and expertise has been highlighted in its latest five year plan as critical to the country’s future success.
“From developing the oil and gas fields of the North Sea and from harnessing wind, wave and tidal power in our world-leading renewables industry, Scotland has innovation in every corner and a huge amount to offer China.”
Confirmed Scots exports order announced in Beijing by Salmond included:
Industrial boiler plant makers Cochran Ltd signed a three year partnership with Hong Kong and China Gas Ltd to upgrade industrial systems across China to make them more environmentally friendly. Cochran estimates the new deal to be worth more than £3 million with up to 20 new jobs created in its Annan facility over the next three years.
Edinburgh-based software company Run Rev announced plans to open a subsidiary office in Beijing through a joint venture with a Chinese American based entrepreneur, Dr Andy Parng. The company has also launched a Chinese website for its LiveCode product, which enables people to create their own apps.
Run Rev anticipates profits of up to £30 million over the next three years from its China business.
Unmanned Production Buoy Ltd (UPB) – designers of the world’s first unmanned offshore oil platforms – signed a memorandum of understanding with Offshore Oil Engineering Co Ltd – a subsidiary of CNOOC – for the mass manufacture of its shells, hulls and various components. The agreement will see components manufactured in China, under licence from UPB over a 10 year programme. The first units will be completed in 2017 and UPB expects ‘significant future revenues’ through resulting worldwide sales.
Edinburgh-based Adrok announced a joint venture agreement with Hengzheng Oil Field to deploy its sub-surface radar technology in China. The company estimates a value of £5 million over three years and the creation of 10 high-salary jobs in Scotland.
Pixie Energy is an incubator and a facilitator of strategic research and project work, focusing on energy regulation, policy and markets at the local and national level. Find out more about Pixie Energy