Aiming high
A consultancy discovers new business opportunities in the low carbon arena
The UK is committed to producing 15 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2020, and Xodus Group is powering ahead with a growing reputation in the sector, helping to make this goal a reality.
The Aberdeen headquartered energy consultancy, which has an established oil and gas stream, responded to ambitious energy targets by setting up a dedicated Alternative Energy offering two years ago to diversify into the fast-growing renewables sector.
The innovative company believes the skills learned from the oil and gas industry are readily transferrable to emerging wind, wave and tidal
projects and the business is fully equipped as an ‘engineering powerhouse’, with the unique ability to focus on the buoyant oil and gas markets as well as discovering new business opportunities in the low carbon arena.
Business Development Manager Eric Doyle says: “Hydrocarbons have been the world’s main source of energy for decades; however, the search has begun for cleaner and greener energy. At Xodus we are prepared for the rapidly expanding renewables industry. Our expert engineers and scientists have benefited from decades of global oil and gas experience and have proved they can successfully transfer this knowledge into the low carbon energy sector.”
The company has just won a significant contract providing an independent safety review service for a major Round 3 developer, and is excited to be moving forward with this contract.
Doyle added: “This is a great opportunity for Xodus. We have a full suite of occupational and technical safety engineering as well as a dedicated risk management team. These guys bring years of specialist knowledge and credibility in industrial safety and risk and are using those skills assisting clients in a new industry.”
The environmental arm of Xodus Group has been busy assisting companies in the development and installation of leading technologies for wave and tidal projects, but is now stepping up its offshore wind capabilities to provide a fuller and complete renewables service to clients.
Xodus Group now has 30 renewable related clients on its books and is expecting 30 percent of its turnover to come from renewable/low carbon projects over the next three years.
The company is experienced in prototype deployment, permit applications and environmental impact assessments; however, it is already taking this to a new level by pooling its capabilities in subsea, structural design, technical risk and safety, electricity and grid technologies to offer the best bespoke solutions for renewables projects.
Doyle explains: “We can work with our clients to help them with all aspects of their engineering requirements, from the concept select phase through to pre-FEED and FEED and into operational support. We have been responsible for designing and managing infrastructures and cabling of wave renewable developments. The cross-over from traditional oil and gas means we have highly experienced experts in electrical and grid, structural as well as technical and occupational safety areas. This expertise is rolled out across the whole spectrum of our business, giving clients the best service we can.”
The company is quickly building its reputation as an evolving energy company, working dually in the oil and gas sector as well as the low carbon markets. It is actively working with a range of clients from government, utility and developer communities.
It is also focusing on further acquisitions within the low carbon field and is aiming to expand its portfolio within the next few years.
Xodus is attracting interest in its low carbon energy credentials from the UK and overseas.
Doyle explains: “Xodus Group began the journey into the renewable energy sector with a clear strategy to stay local, get experience, then leverage from that to widen our areas of interest. We currently have interest in our capability from Europe and further afield.”
Xodus has already worked on a number of groundbreaking renewables projects - winning contracts with Aquamarine Power on the game-changing Oyster wave technology and with Green Ocean Energy.
It has also been actively involved in helping organisations to secure a number of consents and is currently working for Pelamis Wave Power in developing a state-of-the-art wave power farm in the North Sea.
The wave farm is a joint venture between Pelamis and Swedish company Vattenfall, one of the biggest utilities in Europe, and is located just off the west coast of mainland Shetland.
The dynamic project will use around 25 Pelamis P2 machines, which are semi-submerged structures that transfer wave energy into domestic energy.
Xodus has been involved in the early stages of the consenting process, including the scoping of environmental impact assessments and the development of the stakeholder consultation strategy.
Doyle adds: “Pentland Firth, Orkney and Shetland are key centres in the race to harness power from our seas and Xodus is proud to be playing a role in enabling ground breaking technology to help meet the UK’s energy demands.”
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