Plans revealed for Scotland's first marine energy park

Monday 30 July 2012

Scotland's first marine energy park is to be created in the north of the country.

Energy from waves will cut emissions, tackle climate change and could generate 27GW of power for the UK by 2050 (enough to power around 20 million homes), according to the UK Government.

The Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters Marine Energy Park will include the already established European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) on Orkney, which tests wave and tidal energy devices with developers from across the world.

The designated area of the park will be promoted globally by the UK and Scottish governments, as well as Highland Council, to attract both private companies to invest in the area and marine energy students from universities.Earlier this year the UK Government announced details of the UK's first marine energy park, located off the south-west of England.The area around Orkney was chosen because of its high tidal stream.UK Energy Minister Greg Barker said: "This stretch of water is also home to the European Marine Energy Centre, currently unrivalled anywhere else in the world. This park will help bring together local knowledge and expertise to spur on further development in this exciting industry."Marine power is a growing, green, clean source of power which has the potential to sustain thousands of jobs in a sector worth a possible £15 billion to the economy by 2050."EMEC opened in 2003 with £30 million of public funding from both the Scottish and UK governments, local councils and the European Union. It has 14 berths for testing tidal energy technology and the operators said it is now self-sufficient. Companies such as ScottishPower Renewables and E.On use EMEC to test wave power capture machines.Scottish Energy Minister Fergus Ewing said the creation of the park "proves that Scotland continues to be the jewel in the crown of all wave and tidal activity".He said: "Progress in Scottish wave and tidal renewables has been staggering but the Scottish Government recognises that more financial support is needed to help the sector achieve its fullest potential."That is why we have committed over £30 million through schemes and investment at EMEC and why we are still continuing to invest in the sector with the £18 million Marine Renewables Commercialisation Fund, created to accelerate the development and deployment of commercial arrays."Meanwhile, wildlife campaigners want the Scottish Government to establish more marine protected areas (MPAs) to maintain jobs in tourism while developing marine technology.Steve Sankey of Orcadian Wildlife, which promotes tours and holidays on Orkney, said: "My business and many others rely on wildlife, so we call upon the minister to show his support for MPAs and ensure a healthy future for both my family's livelihood and Scotland's seas."We would be very short of customers if it wasn't for those who come to see the local wildlife, particularly the dolphins. We, and the wildlife, are heavily dependent on the marine environment. We all need to be seen to be concerned and doing something about the state of Scotland's seas."WWF Scotland welcomed the news that the area will host the UK's second marine energy park."Selecting the Pentland Firth as the site of UK's second marine energy park is an exciting development and a further opportunity for Scotland's marine renewable sector to develop wave and tidal devices," said Dr Sam Gardner, senior climate policy officer at the environmental charity."We are already at the forefront of these important technologies and energy park status will help further speed up the commercial development of marine renewables."Alongside energy saving measures, marine renewables will have a critical role to play in helping Scotland reduce climate emissions as we phase out polluting fossil fuels and nuclear power. With careful planning we can harness Scotland's wave and tidal energy to help cut our climate emissions, while safeguarding the nation's tremendous marine environment."

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Plans revealed for Scotland's first marine energy park

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