The Scottish and Welsh ocean energy test centres EMEC and META have strengthened ties to expand the UK network.
Namely, the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney has signed an agreement with Marine Energy Wales to provide further support to the Marine Energy Test Area in Pembrokeshire, Wales.
This builds on an initial collaboration between the two parties in 2018.
This resulted in EMEC providing input into the initial feasibility stage of the META project.
EMEC guided META development providing strategic advice on site selection, developer requirements, operational procedures as well as commercial development.
META consists of eight pre-consented, non-grid connected sites located in and around the Milford Haven Waterway.
The sites are accessible yet still representative of real sea environments with phase 1 of the project launched in September 2019.
Jess Hooper, Marine Energy Wales’ lead said:
“We see our collaboration with EMEC as really important in developing our META project and one that will strengthen the UK’s low carbon innovation offer.
“Both phases of META will support wave, tidal, floating wind and research into wider blue economy”.
EMEC will now support the implementation of META’s processes and procedures to ensure safe and efficient operation of the facility.
It will provide guidance on accident incident investigation, developer lifecycle, data acquisition, permitting, consenting, installation, and also decommissioning.
Deepening the collaboration between the two test sites, EMEC’s Saul Young will be seconded to work at META for six months.
He will provide on the ground support for the day-to-day operation of the test facility.
Rob Flynn, EMEC’s Commercial Manager said:
“The UK has led the world in developing ocean energy, with Scotland and Wales at the front of this charge.
“Demonstration facilities like EMEC and META are key innovation hubs for progressing the sector.”
Bethan Simes, Project Coordinator for META said:
“Collaboration is critical to ensure we move innovation to commercial realisation and it is positive to see Scotland and Wales working together to progress this.
“META will also support our array scale test site plans at Morlais and Pembroke.”