Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group (AREG) and the European Space Agency (ESA) have signed a memorandum of intent (MOI) to analyze, develop, and implement space-enabled technology and services to support the renewable energy sector.
The organizations will work together to foster the development of space-utilizing applications to support technical and business innovation in the renewables sector. The organizations also will evaluate environmental sustainability of energy production and safety of operations.
“This agreement with ESA will look at the innovative technologies being developed for space activities and how we can use these learning and innovations to accelerate the development of renewable projects,” said Jean Morrison, chair of AREG. “We expect that collaborating with organizations such as ESA will bring fresh ideas and initiatives for our members as we continue to champion the energy supply chain to enable the transition to low carbon to achieve net-zero emissions.”
Rita Rinaldo, the head of the Partner-Led and Thematic Initiatives Section at, added, “ESA is strongly positioned to support the implementation of innovative services relying on space assets to support the renewable sector in Europe and beyond.
This is not the first reported connection between the energy industry and the space industry. Recently, SpaceX was reported to be linked to the purchase two semisubmersible rigs from Valaris before that company filed for bankruptcy. Additionally, SpaceX’s Starlink communications satellite constellation has been suggested as a solution for transmitting data from oil fields to offices for analysis.
ESA Space Solutions aims at reaching commercial exploitation of space assets, data, and capabilities addressing incubation, technical feasibility, and business development. This includes the development of operational services for a wide range of users through the combination of different systems and support in creating viable companies as well as supporting existing companies.