EMEC: Free technology verification for developers

A competition run by the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) offering free Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) to successful technology developers has been launched.

Fergus Ewing, the Scottish Energy Minister, announced that the winner of the competition will be taken through the full ETV process, and provided with a Statement of Verification for their technology.

The EMEC-ETV competition is seeking proposals from SME developers who can show that their technology is innovative and has environmental added-value, and whose performance characteristics are not fully covered by existing regulations and standards. EMEC aims to provide a developer with funding for the whole verification process (excluding the costs of any testing required), EMEC’s press release reads.

The competition is open to all companies worldwide, providing technologies fall into one of the two following categories:

• Energy technologies,
• Water treatment and monitoring technologies.

The eligible technologies for EMEC-ETV verification under energy technologies category are:

1. Production of heat and power from renewable sources of energy (e.g. biomass, geothermic, wave, tidal and wind),
2. Reuse of energy from waste (e.g. 3rd generation biofuels and combustion technologies),
3. Energy efficiency technologies (e.g. micro-turbines, hydrogen and fuel cells, heat pumps, CHP, logistics).

The technology for verification must meet all of the following requirements:

• It presents sufficient level of technological innovation in terms of design, raw materials involved, production process, use, recyclability or final disposal, when compared with relevant alternatives,
• It is ready for commercialisation or is already commercially available (for this competition the technology must be at TRL level 6 or higher).
• It shows potential to meet user needs and to perform in line with legal requirements.

There are two stages to the competition. Stage 1 requires interested companies to submit an application form outlining the technology to allow assessment for suitability to the scheme, and stage 2 requires a detailed proposal to be submitted.

The deadline for submitting an application for Stage 1 of the competition is June 5, 2015.

Dave Wakefield, EMEC’s ETV manager, said: “We meet a lot of new technology developers at EMEC, and we think this scheme could really help give their products visibility and credibility. By proving that environmental benefit and innovation claims are real, we believe ETV will help them get investment, and get them to market sooner.”

Fergus Ewing said: “Independent verification of performance is an important factor in securing private sector funding and reaching the market and I would encourage as many smaller developers as possible to enter this competition.”

EMEC became a Verification Body for Environmental Technology Verification (EMEC-ETV) in 2014, and can verify the performance of innovative technologies which present an environmental benefit in the marine and wind energy industry, as well as technologies in the water treatment, and materials & waste categories.

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Image: EMEC