First Minister Alex Salmond yesterday announced investment worth £2.6m in Aberdeen's Scottish European Green Energy Centre (SEGEC) to strengthen Scotland's position as leader in sustainable energy projects but the Labour energy spokesman described the financing as a "token gesture" and "very modest sums".
Salmond, speaking at the official opening of the centre, which is based at the University of Aberdeen, said the European Regional Development Fund will provide £1.6m. The Scottish Government is also allocating more than £1m for the centre during the next three years.
Salmond said the new centre would place Scotland at the forefront of European research into renewable energy.
The centre will focus on marine energy, offshore wind, long distance super grid development and smart distribution grids, carbon capture and storage, renewable heat and energy efficiency.
The head of ITI Energy, Duncan Botting was recently named the executive chairman of the centre and other board members have been drawn from research partners, the energy industry and government bodies.
The First Minister said: "The Scottish European Green Energy Centre aims to build on Aberdeen's long-established global reputation as an energy hub by positioning Scotland at the forefront of European innovation, research and development in clean, renewable energy.
"The £2.6m investment of European and Scottish Government funding will, through SEGEC, embrace the energy related opportunities presented through Scotland's leading global effort to reduce climate change. Scotland's natural capital can create tens of thousands of green jobs.
Salmond added: "We must capitalise on Scotland's natural competitive advantages in clean, green energy to secure and grow the energy industry's presence in Scotland."
"The official opening of SEGEC is an important step forward in building Scotland's growing reputation as the green global powerhouse of Europe."
Botting stated: "We welcome the First Minister's announcement and we have already started work by identifying and facilitating no less than three key European Recovery Fund projects that were delivered to the European Commission in mid-July.
"The partners involved with this process have commended SEGEC for the high degree of quality and excellence in service that we have been able to offer.
"Looking forward, there is a terrific opportunity to deliver real world demonstration and deployment projects of scale for Scotland to benefit our green energy ambitions."
Professor Jim McDonald, chairman of the Energy Technology Partnership - an alliance of independent Scottish Universities that conducts energy research and Development - added: "Scotland's universities are leading the way in world-class research and development on the low carbon energy supplies and infrastructure of the future.
"Scotland's top energy researchers are already collaborating together through the Energy Technology Partnership (ETP) within Scotland and across the world. SEGEC will help ensure a dedicated focal point for research collaborations between Scotland and the EU, where there are significant funding opportunities and challenging targets to deliver a low-carbon economy."
Labour energy spokesman Lewis Macdonald welcomed the opening of SEGEC, but warned it would take more than token gestures for Scotland to secure a leading place in green energy development across Europe.
He said: "This new initiative will see investments of around £0.3m a year of EU funding and around £0.3m a year of Scottish Government funding over the next three to five years.
"These are very modest sums in the context of the multi-billion-pound energy industries, but every small step forward is useful so far as it goes."
The Aberdeen Central MSP added: "If Alex Salmond is serious about supporting green energy in the North East, it is surely time he took an interest in the European Wind Deployment Centre planned for Aberdeen Bay. That offers the prospect of serious EU money - up to 40m - and Scottish ministers need to get involved to make sure that project happens here."
