EMEC endorses MaRINET2 testing chance

The European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) has encouraged ocean energy developers, supply chain companies and research organizations to apply for access to the center’s test facilities in Scotland.

The second call for MaRINET2 applications opens on January 15, 2018, for companies developing systems and components for the offshore energy sector, including wind, wave and tidal energy technologies.

Through MaRINET2, successful applications will receive free access to EMEC’s testing infrastructure which includes four offshore sites and a range of associated testing equipment.

Projects can be focused on testing marine energy devices, components or subsystems for short to medium term duration, according to EMEC.

A contribution towards travel and subsistence costs for users of the initiative has also been made available, EMEC noted.

Applications should be made by February 28, 2018 via dedicated MaRINET2 website.

Matthew Finn, Senior Business Development Manager at EMEC, said: “MaRINET provides emerging technology developers with an excellent route to testing their machines at EMEC and working with the Orkney supply chain who have unprecedented experience of marine energy deployments.

“The companies that tested at EMEC through the first MaRINET project found that the learning generated from deploying in the sea has been invaluable to the development of their technologies.

“As well as device developers, we would also like to encourage companies from across the European supply chain to consider whether running a test and demonstration project in the sea at EMEC could add value to their products.”

MaRINET2 is a €10.5 million project funded by the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 program, and coordinated by the Marine and Renewable Energy Ireland (MaREI) Centre in University College Cork.

The project will seek to accelerate the development of offshore renewable energy technologies by providing free-of-charge access to a network of 57 research facilities across Europe, which will be granted through a series of competitive calls for applicants.

It follows on from the first MaRINET project where over 700 weeks of access was made available to 178 projects and 800 companies over the 4.5 year initiative.