Renewable energy: Technip to base HQ in Aberdeen
First Minister Alex Salmond has hailed a French firm's decision to locate a key office in the north-east of Scotland.
The energy, engineering and construction company Technip confirmed its North Sea offshore renewables head office will be in Aberdeen.
The firm's operating centre in the city will now serve as its head office for offshore renewable energies, such as wind power.
Mr Salmond said the decision was "a huge vote of confidence in Scotland's position as a global leader in renewables innovation".
The First Minister said he was "delighted that Technip are continuing to seize the opportunities available in Scotland and further investing in renewable energy developments".
He added: "Technip's decision to base its offshore renewables operations in Aberdeen is a huge vote of confidence in Scotland's position as a global leader in renewables innovation, and underlines the massive wealth of human capital and energy and engineering knowledge in the north-east.
"We expect thousands of jobs to be created in Scotland in the next few years as a result of expansion in the renewable energy sector, and decisions like this will help ensure that those expectations are realised in terms of both job creation and investment."
The firm, which already employs about 800 people in Aberdeen, confirmed the decision as it hosted a meeting in Paris with Mr Salmond and leading figures from other French firms involved in the renewable energy industry.
Technip chairman and chief executive officer Thierry Pilenko said it would allow the firm to capitalise on its expertise in offshore operations and help tackle the challenges of the renewable energy industry.
He said: "Technip is a world leader in the fields of project management, engineering and construction for the oil and gas industry but is also committed to implementing expertise from its core business in service of renewable energies.
"In this context, the group's operating centre in Aberdeen will be able to capitalise on its expertise in offshore operations, fleet management and project execution to tackle the challenges of the renewable energy industry and succeed in its new assignment."
