This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Marine energy testing centre opens
10/08/2004
A centre which will allow the industry to test potential
wave energy generators has been opened in Orkney today.
The European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), based in
Orkney, is among the first of its type in the world, and
will provide a unique one-stop facility for the industry to
test potential wave energy generators.
Deputy First Minister Jim Wallace said the £5-million
centre - an extension to which is already being planned to
include tidal energy testing facilities - signals the "dawn
of a new era for energy production in Scotland".
The Minister said:
"Today is a hugely significant landmark in the
development of renewable energy - both for Scotland and the
world. It is also another considerable achievement for
devolution.
"EMEC epitomises our strategic vision for the
development of a strong wave and tidal energy industry in
Scotland. By providing world-class facilities here in
Orkney we will be in a prime position to capitalise on the
enormous opportunities provided by this rapidly developing
and expanding sector.
"I am convinced that Scotland's renewable future will
depend heavily on wave and tidal energy, and we are in a
very strong position to develop these technologies. Clearly
we enjoy an advantage in that the resources available here
in Scotland are abundant. Indeed, Orkney itself has been
identified as probably the best location in Europe for
testing commercial-scale devices.
"Opening EMEC is just the first stage in ensuring that
the marine energy industry develops and achieves its
potential here in Scotland. Success in growing the sector
will help us to meet our renewables targets and help
protect our environment by reducing emissions and tackling
climate change.
"However, marine energy also has the potential to create
significant numbers of jobs here in Scotland - many of them
in remoter areas, such as the Highlands and Islands. The
recent Marine Energy Group report suggested that up to
7,000 jobs could be supported in both direct and indirectly
related industries."
EMEC's opening comes little more than a week after the
DTI announced a new £50 million Marine Renewables
Development Fund.
Mr Wallace said the Centre underlines the Executive's
commitment to developing all sources of renewable
energy.
He said:
"We are also well on the way, with our funding partners,
to ensuring that the Centre can be extended to include
tidal facilities. We have said time and again that we are
determined to support as wide and varied a renewables
portfolio as possible. By acting in this way, we are
supporting both economic growth and the security of our
electricity supply.
"Today's ceremony at Stromness shows that we are keeping
our word, and pointing the way forward."
The European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) is the
realisation of a
partnership involving the Scottish Executive, Highlands
and Islands Enterprise, Scottish Enterprise, Orkney Islands
Council, the Department of Trade and Industry and the
Carbon Trust. The Centre was constructed at a cost of
around £5 million, the majority of the funding coming from
the Executive and HIE.
Stromness in Orkney was selected as the ideal base for
EMEC, a site that
has been described as 'probably the best location in
Europe for testing commercial-scale devices'. The site
selection process considered 18 different criteria and
Orkney stood out in terms of:
- Available energy resource
- The shortest distance offshore to exploit the
resource
- The availability of onshore support facilities
- The proximity of sheltered water for
construction
- Suitable connections to the electricity grid.
The four test berths are situated 2 kilometres offshore
in a water depth
of 50 metres. Four cables stretch out to the berths
from a new sub station at Billia Croo. Extreme waves at
the site are steep, with large waves a regular occurrence.
EMEC provides a fully comprehensive service, acting as
enabler for marine energy device developers. All the
necessary consents are in place, and the physical
infrastructure of four test berths, a substation, an
observation point, a weather station and a data centre,
combine with expert knowledge to provide a unique one stop
facility for the industry.
Initially EMEC will be used to test wave power but
subject, to the necessary planning consents being obtained
and the business plan's approval by the partners, EMEC will
also be expanded to include tidal facilities.