Government support for development of UK’s marine energy industry
The UK Government is to support a range of major collaborative research and development projects, worth in excess of £13 million, that will help to show how wave and tidal energy can be generated at scale, and with lower energy production costs.
The UK’s innovation agency, the Technology Strategy Board (www.innovateuk.org) and Scottish Enterprise (www.scottish-enterprise.com) – in collaboration with the Scottish Government and Highlands and Islands Enterprise – are to invest over £6.5 million in seven new projects that will support the applied research, experimental development and demonstration of innovative technologies that solve common issues faced by those developing and deploying the first marine energy arrays, a critical step in the development of the industry.
Iain Gray, Chief Executive of the Technology Strategy Board, said:
“These projects will help UK businesses to exploit innovative new technologies in a growing market. The marine energy industry is at a critical stage and needs to demonstrate that energy from wave and tidal power can be generated, successfully, at scale and at a reduced cost.
“The cross-industry collaboration being shown in these projects is vital to help solve key technical challenges in deploying first marine energy arrays.”
Adrian Gillespie, director of Energy and Low Carbon Technologies at Scottish Enterprise, said;
"The Marine Energy - Supporting Array Technologies (MESAT) programme was developed in partnership with an industry group comprising key members of the marine energy community.
"These collaborative projects address technological challenges that are crucial to advancing our position as the world leader in developing marine energy and support the move forward to the deployment of arrays in the waters off the north and western coasts of Scotland over the next few years. In doing so, the MESAT projects will build on the device development and testing work being undertaken at the world leading European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney.”
The companies leading the research and development are – CC Hydrosonics Ltd (Harlow), IT Power Ltd (Bristol), Mojo Maritime Ltd (Falmouth), SSE Renewables (Perth), Tension Technology International Ltd (Eastbourne), Tidal Generation Ltd (Bristol) and TidalStream Ltd (Southam).
One of the projects will see SSE Renewables partner with ScottishPower Renewables and four leading tidal turbine developers to develop electrical connection architectures for large-scale tidal power arrays. The aim is to develop an architecture which is compatible with a range of tidal stream turbines, with the intent of deploying the architecture in the first commercial scale tidal power arrays currently being developed by the two utility companies.
The collaborative project led by Mojo Maritime will develop a patented vessel and operating concept designed to handle the aggressive marine conditions typical of tidal energy sites. The aim is to reduce the cost of installation and through-life maintenance of tidal arrays to a level comparable to the installed cost of offshore wind.
And CC Hydrosonics will develop, with their partners, a system that uses ultrasonic waves to prevent bio-fouling of submerged generators, cost-effectively and without harm to marine life. Fouling causes severe structural loading on the submerged components of marine electricity generators, lowers the efficiency of generation and can disable a generator through the clogging-up of moving components.
1. The Technology Strategy Board is the UK’s innovation agency. Its goal is to accelerate economic growth by stimulating and supporting business-led innovation. Sponsored by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), the Technology Strategy Board brings together business, research and the public sector, supporting and accelerating the development of innovative products and services to meet market needs, tackle major societal challenges and help build the future economy. For more information please visit www.innovateuk.org.
2. The vision of the Technology Strategy Board is for the UK to be a global leader in innovation and a magnet for innovative businesses, where technology is applied rapidly, effectively and sustainably to create wealth and enhance quality of life. Our approach to accelerating the pace of innovation in the UK is captured in our strategy document, Concept to Commercialisation, published in May 2011. This builds on our first strategy, developed in 2008, and sets out new directions, taking into account the challenges and exciting opportunities that lie ahead. To see the new strategy please visit: Concept to Commercialisation.
3. The Technology Strategy Board’s _connect platform provides an effective and powerful way to collaborate online, network and share knowledge with other innovators. It provides a place to work together securely and share information & knowledge. Users can utilise the online tools to work collaboratively, discuss ideas and find events. The networks offer up-to-the minute news on funding, events, articles and publications, plus information about all 15 Knowledge Transfer Networks. Through the networks, users can find potential business partners, entrepreneurs, collaborators, other innovators, researchers and academics.
4. The offers of funding are conditional and remain subject to the successful completion of Technology Strategy Board compliance and financial review processes and those of the co-funding organisations.
5. Scottish Enterprise is Scotland's main economic development agency and aims to deliver a significant, lasting effect on the Scottish economy. Our role is to help identify and exploit the best opportunities for economic growth. We support ambitious Scottish companies to compete within the global marketplace and help build Scotland’s globally competitive sectors. We also work with a range of partners in the public and private sectors to attract new investment to Scotland and to help create a world-class business environment. For more information please visit: www.scottish-enterprise.com.
6. Established in 2003, the European Marine Energy Centre Ltd (EMEC – www.emec.org.uk) in Orkney is the first and only centre of its kind in the world to provide developers of both wave and tidal energy converters – technologies that generate electricity by harnessing the power of waves and tidal streams – with purpose-built, accredited testing facilities.
7. For background information about the Marine Energy – Supporting Array Technologies please visit: Marine Energy SAT.
8. Media enquiries only should be addressed to the Technology Strategy Board’s media relations team:
Nick Sheppard
Media Relations Consultant
Mobile: 07824 599644, Email: nick.sheppard@tsb.gov.uk
Claire Cunningham
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9. Companies and other organisations seeking information about Technology Strategy Board funding competitions should visit the Competitions page of the Technology Strategy Board website – Competitions page , email competitions@innovateuk.org or phone the Competitions Helpline at 0300 321 4357.
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