UK-wide client services

Taylor Keogh is working with its clients across the UK but to further strengthen its services it has recently entered partnership agreements with PR consultancies in Scotland and Northern Ireland, both of whom have strong track records in the energy sector. In Scotland, Taylor Keogh has forged an alliance with Budge PR (www.budgepr.com) and in Northern Ireland the company is working with Resolute Public Affairs, a consultancy recently established by Terry McErlane (www.resolutepa.com).

Budge PR and Taylor Keogh have worked together with AWS Ocean Energy for the past three years as well as a number of one-off projects for clients.

The partnerships are part of Taylor Keogh’s commitment to provide its clients with the vital experience and skill-set necessary to deliver their objectives. Taylor Keogh is presently recruiting to its London office and will continue to draw upon its network of senior-level associate consultants based across the UK.

Energy from waste on Teesside

Taylor Keogh is supporting Air Product’s plans to build a 49MW energy from waste plant on Teesside. The proposed scheme, which requires approval from Stockton Council and an environmental permitting consent from the Environment Agency, will use advanced gasification technology to convert pre-processed waste to baseload power.

The proposed Tees Valley Renewable Energy Facility was announced this summer and it has been welcomed by a number of local organisations including the North East Process Industries Cluster, the North East Chamber of Commerce, Renew@CPI and Tees Valley Unlimited. Subject to planning approval and financing, the Air Products facility is targeted to enter commercial operation in early 2014.

Taylor Keogh’s work has included stakeholder and community consultation (including public exhibitions), press relations and website/literature development. www.airproducts.co.uk/teesvalley

Harnessing the power of the tides

Marine Current Turbines, a client of Taylor Keogh since 2005, continues to lead the way in developing tidal stream energy on a commercial basis. Ranked as the world’s top tidal energy company in The Guardian/Clean Tech Global 100 Survey (2009), the company is building on the success of its SeaGen project in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough.

In September, it announced an agreement with ESB International to develop an initial phase of a 100MW tidal energy project off the Antrim coast in Northern Ireland, and the company will shortly submit a planning application to deploy a 10MW tidal farm in waters off Anglesey, in partnership with RWE npower renewables. In March 2010, MCT secured approval for a lease from The Crown Estate to deploy its SeaGen technology off Brough Ness, on the southern most tip of the Orkney Islands. The company plans to have its first phase of SeaGen tidal turbines deployed there during 2017 with the whole scheme operational by 2020.

SeaGen was deployed in Strangford Lough in April 2008; it has the capacity to generate power for the equivalent of about 1500 homes. It works in principle much like an “underwater windmill” with the rotors driven by the power of the tidal currents rather than the wind. SeaGen is accredited by OFGEM as a UK power station and so is a recipient of Renewable Obligation Certificates. www.marineturbines.com