Commercial Development

Achieving best value from our many assets

We define and deliver the thermal generation strategy that enables ScottishPower to grow its market position and play a vital role in ensuring security of energy supply in the UK. This involves securing a long-term future for our coal generation assets and finding opportunities to grow our gas power station and gas storage assets.

Delivering value-driven initiatives to meet business objectives, we assess when to build new assets, when to invest in existing assets and when to dispose of non-core assets to maximise cash for reinvestment. Owing to the varied and complex nature of our work, we liaise closely with a diverse range of teams across Energy Wholesale.

Our responsibilities

Our activities are divided into three main areas that offer unique challenges and the satisfaction of delivering major projects:

Project Development

We actively seek new opportunities through mergers, acquisitions and new developments, and deliver each project through the development stage. This involves planning and developing investments for new and existing power stations and gas storage assets, securing planning permission and working with consultancy services before handing over to the Construction Team. We take into account a wide range of issues for each project including engineering, environmental, planning, legal and financial aspects.

Construction

Organised in a genuinely multi-functional way, we implement large-scale projects to deliver ScottishPower’s ambitious asset strategy. Managing a truly global supply chain, we work with international contractors and technical consultants, often travelling around the world to work with partners. We’ve an enviable track record of health, safety and environmental performance and ensure that all sites are run professionally to the highest of standards.

Structured Contracts

Operating in highly volatile and competitive markets, we seek new contracting opportunities in order to maximise value and mitigate risk. This involves negotiating a wide range of contracts relating to energy commodities for markets in the UK and Europe. We consider a variety of factors such as future pricing scenarios, competitor activity and the impact of changes to regulation and legislation.

Major challenges

Over the next 20 years, a number of large UK power stations will have to undergo considerable modifications, or close due to age and tightening environmental standards. The UK is faced with the major challenge of modernising or replacing its power station fleet to ensure that there’s sufficient electricity to meet growing demands.

Playing a key role in ensuring the future security of energy supply, we’re currently building a state-of-the-art biomass plant and are delivering a £170m project to fit flue gas desulphurisation to our Longannet power station. We also have a number of significant upgrades and new-build opportunities in the pipeline as part of a £300m capital programme of environmental and performance upgrades. These include installing Boosted Over Fire Air Projects and constructing multiple Combined Cycle Gas Turbine power stations as well as a Waste Incineration Directive compliant Biomass power station.

Careers in Commercial Development

We offer a diverse range of careers in areas such as Project Development, Project Management, Engineering (all disciplines), Financial Control, Health & Safety, Quality, Project Planning & Control, Installation & Commissioning and Contract Negotiation.

Commercial Development Locations

Project Development and Structured Contracts are based in Cathcart, Glasgow. Construction is based in Longannet Power Station, Kincardine on Forth.

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