The centre is already responding to the needs of the marine power industry by developing new nursery sites for testing prototype devices. "We aim to consult widely on potential locations and on other facilities that would benefit wave and tidal developers in the future," said (right) EMEC MD Neil Kermode.
 

Funding worth £8m from the UK Government's Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC), will support the creation of four nursery sites, two for tidal and two for wave machines. These will allow developers to trial smaller scale marine energy devices and full size prototypes - in less challenging sea conditions than those experienced at EMEC's main test sites.

"It's good to see the Government backing our ambition to provide additional support for wave and tidal energy developers," Kermode said.

EMEC's two main sites are the world's first at-sea grid-connected test facilities for machines that can harvest the power of waves and tidal currents.

"As this new industry evolves, it's become apparent that expanding our portfolio of marine test sites will bring real benefits for the developers we are here to support," he said. "As we've seen at EMEC, some developers are keen to subject their prototype technologies to the full force of the sea at our main wave and tidal test sites.

"Others would prefer the sort of half-way house, our new nursery sites will provide - enabling them conduct sea trials in less rigorous conditions with either scaled down or full size machines."
 

Pelamis, the first wave device to generate electricity for the National Grid at EMEC, initially underwent sea trials in the Firth of Forth as a seventh-scale prototype.

Stromness-based Scotrenewables (Marine Power) Ltd is currently testing a fifth-scale tidal turbine and sees this as an important way to develop the technology before commissioning a full size machine.

Irish company OpenHydro is testing its prototype turbine at EMEC's main tidal test site and has just delivered a far larger 1-megawatt (MW) machine for installation at the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia.

And two new Scottish ventures, Aberdeen-based Green Ocean Energy with its Ocean and Wave Treader and Edinburgh-based AlbaTERN with its ingenious flexible net prototype to be trialled in the Summer Isles, are hopefully about to join the established players.

"We’re seeing a scaling up in the technologies as they move from the prototype stage into the commercial market place," said Kermode. "Our new facilities will support this process - by offering developers a choice when they make the move from the test tank to at-sea trials of their machines."

The DECC funding will also allow the installation of three new grid-connected berths, two at the main tidal test site and another at the main wave test site. "This reflects a growing demand from developers," Kermode added. "We're delighted that the Government is continuing to invest in the facilities we need to nurture this important new industry."

Elaine Hanton, joint head of energy at Highlands and Islands Enterprise, said: "The waters around Orkney have some of the best wave and tidal energy testing conditions in the world. By engaging with developers, EMEC is well placed to make the most of the resources on their doorstep. HIE is committed to working with our partners to ensure that Scotland gets maximum benefit from renewable energy generation."

EMEC established with  £15m of funding from the Scottish Government, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, the Carbon Trust, the UK Government, Scottish Enterprise, the European Union and Orkney Islands Council.

The vital MAST 'pool'

A £17.4m seven year investment in a new marine science 'pool' will include Aberdeen, Glasgow, St Andrews, Stirling, Strathclyde, Heriot-Watt, Edinburgh Napier and the UHI Millennium Institute.

The Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland MASTS also includes Marine Scotland (Science), the Scottish Government's own science research and advisory service, and the Universities Marine Biological Station at Millport, part of  University of London, through the Scottish Association of Marine Science.

Among its key areas of research, MASTS will pool existing strengths to look at areas including biodiversity, marine predators, sustainable mariculture, and fisheries and possibly keep a weather eye on the energy sector.

MASTS will create eight new professorships and 13 lectureships/readerships. A graduate academy will be at the core of MASTS offering advanced postgraduate training in marine sciences to attract and retain young scientists of true excellence, making marine science an attractive career option for talented people within and beyond Scotland and increasing Scotland's competitive edge in the field.

MASTS can capitalise on Scottish seas already the source of much of its wealth, with over 18,000km of coastline, a sea area five times the land size and double the size of rest of UK offshore responsibilities.

Scotland's seas are among the most biologically productive in the world containing over 40,000 species. At the same time Scotland has 25% of Europe's total tidal and offshore wind resource and 10% of Europe's potential tidal power. SFC's investment continues its commitment to develop and support research pooling and build on Scotland's strong marine science community.

Professor Ian Boyd, (left) director of the Scottish Oceans Institute and the Sea Mammal Research Unit at the University of St Andrews said: "Scotland has some of the richest and most diverse seas in the world. The extent to which we are able to maximise the benefits from Scotland's seas, while ensuring that this is done sustainably, is going to rest on finding innovative solutions and these will come from basic research. The Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland has been designed to provide a strong foundation for this basic research."

Mark Batho CEO of the Scottish Funding Council, (right) added : "Scotland's coastline and seas are of immense importance to the country's wealth and culture. As a maritime nation, marine science has been a natural part of Scotland's contribution to modern science. The Council is pleased to support this science community to build on its success with a strong research pool."