Innovative start-up Legasea awarded green jobs funding

The innovative project will reduce the carbon footprint of subsea decommissioning operations, by taking subsea equipment that is no longer required, and finding routes to refurbish, re-certify, re-manufacture and reuse, keeping as many components as possible in use, with a projected annual carbon saving of 10,000 Tonnes CO2e.

Legasea plans to invest £1.3m and create six new green jobs during the three year project, supported by a £187,950 grant from Scottish Enterprise.

The project is the culmination of several years of research and planning conducted by Legasea, involving engagement with a wide range of operators and service companies in the subsea sector, to develop a service which benefits the industry environmentally and economically.

Since establishing the company in 2018, Legasea has consulted with a range of government and industry stakeholders, to ensure that the service is closely aligned with decommissioning and environmental policy, and the company has been awarded a SEPA Waste Management Licence, which permits Legasea to accept range of material, defined as waste, from subsea decommissioning operations.

Lewis Sim, Managing Director at Legasea said: “We are delighted, and very thankful, to receive this support from Scottish Enterprise to grow our team and assist with launching the Shore to Store service for the subsea sector. The reception that we have received from across the industry, since establishing the company, has been incredible, and we look forward to continued growth whilst reducing the environmental impact of subsea decommissioning.”

Scottish Enterprise announced that £10.7m has been approved for 43 projects involving total capital investment of £61.6m, with more than 750 green jobs to be created and safeguarded by the projects, supporting the transition to net zero or minimising environmental impacts by developing sustainable low-carbon products or services.

Managing Director of Business Services and Advice, at Scottish Enterprise, Jane Martin said: “The Green Jobs Call was established to enable companies like Legasea to create green jobs and support a sustainable Scottish economy. It is great to see this subsea specialist based in Aberdeenshire provide employment opportunities in the North-East of Scotland and highlights the vitality and talent in the area that is driving energy transition.

“Legasea’s shore to store service, with an annual forecast reduction of 10,000 tonnes of CO2 through the process of reusing and recycling components is great news for the environment and the economy. The project also highlights the innovation taking place across the energy industry to transition to a cleaner, greener economy as we drive towards net zero targets too.”