Crown Estate Scotland Names Marine Head

The Crown Estate Scotland has appointed Colin Palmer to lead the development of offshore renewable energy and aquaculture.

As the Head of Marine at the Scottish public body that manages seabed leasing, Palmer’s obligations will also include cables and pipelines, as well as carbon capture and storage.

Palmer is currently the Delivery Director at Kite Power Systems (KPS), which he joined in 2017.

In relation to offshore wind, he was Project Manager for the Beatrice project until consent in 2014, then Asset Manager for SSE on the Dogger Bank development during a period in which 2.4GW was consented.

“Scotland’s seas are hugely important to our economy and our environment so joining the organisation that manages seabed leasing, and a team that has real depth and breadth of expertise, is an incredibly exciting prospect,” Palmer said.

Palmer also worked in oil & gas as a Commercial & Development Manager for SSE Exploration & Production, as well as for Airtricity, a renewables company acquired by SSE in 2008, focused on onshore wind farm development.

The Crown Estate Scotland is currently developing a new leasing round for offshore wind which could see a release of circa 6GW of offshore wind rights.

If confirmed, the new round could begin early next year, maintaining a pipeline of projects through to the late 2020s and beyond.

Crown Estate Scotland Chief Executive Simon Hodge said: “Research tells us that our tenants and partners really value the expertise of our people. As we develop our long-term approach to managing seabed, coastline and land for the benefit of businesses and communities across Scotland, Colin’s appointment further strengthens our ability to contribute to a ‘Blue Economy’ boom for Scotland.”