EMEC to host high-level EU delegation in Orkney

The representatives of the European Commission (EC) will visit Orkney’s world leading ocean energy test center later this month.

The European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), in association with Ocean Energy Europe, will host key decision makers from the EC’s DG for Research and Innovation, DG for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, and DG Energy to showcase the pioneering advancements that are taking place in marine renewables in Orkney and the global potential this innovative sector offers.

Rémi Gruet, CEO of Ocean Energy Europe, said: “We are delighted to bring a delegation of EU officials to EMEC to see cutting edge ocean energy technologies in action. Europe is currently the global leader in ocean energy technology, and with the right support these technologies can form the bedrock of a mainstream power sector, capable of providing 10% of Europe’s electricity supply by 2050.”

Several EU-funded projects are currently underway in Orkney, including the Scotrenewables-led Floating Tidal Energy Commercialisation (FloTEC) project, focused on the design and build of a mark 2 SR2000 tidal turbine, and Wello’s Clean Energy for Ocean Waves (CEFOW) project which aims to install a 3MW wave energy array at Billia Croo by 2019.

Both projects have received finance from Horizon 2020’s research and innovation program.

EMEC is also leading the €11 million FORESEA project aiming to help bring ocean energy technologies to market by providing access to North-West Europe’s world-leading network of test centers.

As a result of this, and the other projects underway, ocean energy activity in Orkney is increasing steadily, with a healthy pipeline of developers looking to bring their technologies to test over the next few years.

To coincide with the high-profile visit from Europe, EMEC has organized an Ocean Energy Open Day to take place on June 28, 2017.

The event will include tours of EMEC’s onshore facilities at the Billia Croo wave test site, and their Caldale substation in Eday, along with an ocean energy exhibition that will be on display at Warness Park in Kirkwall.

The event is being organized as part of the Energy Day program of EU Sustainable Energy Week.