EMEC seeks partners and collaborators for clean energy innovations  

The Orkney-based European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) has unveiled a search for collaborators and partners under the 2024 Clean Energy Transition Partnership (CETPartnership) joint call, co-funded by the European Union and Scottish Enterprise. 

Aimed at advancing clean energy solutions, this call invites partnerships to help drive forward research and innovation in offshore renewable energy, carbon capture, and hydrogen fuel solutions.

EMEC, leveraging its plug-and-play test facilities, is seeking partners with projects for three primary focus areas: advanced renewable energy technologies, carbon capture and utilization, and hydrogen fuels. According to EMEC, the aim is to support projects on dielectric fluid generators, tidal blade technology, synthetic fuels, and ammonia production.

The CETPartnership call, designed with both international and regional funding options, offers a two-stage application process. In the first stage, project consortia submit pre-proposals specific to one module, with selected proposals invited to move on to full submission in Stage 2. Applicants are advised to carefully review eligibility criteria, as these vary across national and regional requirements, as well as by module.

The joint call includes both research and innovation modules and supports a range of technology readiness levels (TRLs) across clean energy projects, CETPartnership noted. 

EMEC states that this initiative provides a platform for international collaboration on clean energy solutions. The deadline for pre-proposal submissions is November 21, 2024.

Recently, a study by EMEC and the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult indicated that direct access to tidal energy could reduce dependency on costly diesel and oil power in Scottish coastal communities, enabling cleaner, local energy generation while minimizing the need for additional grid capacity.

In October, EMEC was also granted independent research organization (IRO) status by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), a public sector body that supports the UK’s research and innovation system.