A £2 million test centre for further developing marine renewable energy will be created in Dundee.

The Marine Renewables Test Centre at the University of Dundee will become a facility for the development, design and testing of construction materials and prototype foundations for offshore wind farms.

It is being supported by more than £800,000 of funding from the European Regional Development Fund.

Professor Rod Jones, head of the new centre, said that while progress had been made in developing offshore wind turbines, the centre will focus on the design, commissioning and deployment of key structural components such as the concrete foundations.

He said: "We have world-leading expertise at Dundee in the development of concrete technology and the modelling of novel foundation solutions.

"This new centre will build on that and be integral to the provision of, demonstration and certification of marine materials and structures, which are particularly needed by industry if we are to successfully deploy the systems required to exploit Scotland's natural resources in wind and marine energy."

Energy minister Fergus Ewing said: "The creation and launch of the Marine Renewables Test Centre located at the University of Dundee is a further demonstration of Scotland's continued commitment to the development and future commercialisation of the marine renewables industry in Scotland."