The MRCF grant funding is critical to facilitating the success of the first wave and tidal arrays in Scotland, while reducing the cost and risk of the technology. Initiatives benefiting from the MRCF funding include:
- Construction firm McLauglin & Harvey, along with SeaRoc and Nautricity to fund the foundation system which will be used for Nautricity’s 500 kilowatt turbine off the Mull of Kintyre.
- The European Marine Energy Centre to design and build a seabed monitoring pod.
- Marine energy company Green Theme to develop a cable-mounted device called ‘CableFish’ that includes a camera and GPS to helps with cable installation in fast flowing conditions.
- Marine data experts Partrac, along with partners Ocean Array Systems, ITPower and ABP Marine, to carry out surveys at two Scottish sites to understand turbulence in tidal flows.
- Design and engineering company Tension Technology International and partners to design a novel mooring system that can be used for wave and tidal arrays.
Scotland is at the forefront of developing offshore and low carbon energy generation technology with some of the world’s greatest wind, wave and tidal resources heavily concentrated in the waters around our country. Today’s allocation of almost £5 million in MRCF and REIF funding highlights our commitment to supporting the growth of the marine energy sector in Scotland. Our ambition for Scotland’s emerging wave and tidal sector remains great. We know that the successful harnessing of ocean power takes hard work and persistence and the Scottish Government is determined to support those within the industry. The funding announced today will help facilitate some of the country’s most innovative and exciting marine energy projects and I am delighted we are able to assist these companies.
- Fergus Ewing, Energy Minister
Scotland has a world leading resource and is a hot bed of innovation and deployment making marine energy an exciting green growth sector. The Carbon Trust are delighted to be working with the Scottish Government to deliver the Marine Renewables Commercialisation Fund (MRCF). Dramatically reducing the costs of marine energy is the sector’s number one objective as it moves towards large scale deployment. The MRCF is central to that goal. We will now work closely with the companies involved to support them to deliver these important innovations to help accelerate the development of wave and tidal arrays. The solutions developed are applicable to future array projects in Scottish Waters and will help keep Scotland, and the rest of the UK, in pole position to capitalise on the tremendous commercial opportunities we have in marine energy.
- Andrew Lever, Director of Innovation Scotland at the Carbon Trust
ENDS
For further information please contact the Carbon Trust press office on 020 7170 7050 or email press@carbontrust.com.
About the Carbon Trust
The Carbon Trust is an independent company with a mission to accelerate the move to a sustainable, low-carbon economy. The Carbon Trust:
- advises businesses, governments and the public sector on opportunities in a sustainable, low-carbon world;
- measures and certifies the environmental footprint of organisations, products and services;
- helps develop and deploy low-carbon technologies and solutions, from energy efficiency to renewable power
Notes to editors:
The £18 million Marine Renewables Commercialisation Fund (MRCF) is a Scottish Government fund administered by the Carbon Trust. Its goal is to help commercialise the marine energy industry in Scotland by supporting the marine energy sector to make the next step towards commercial maturity. £13 million of funding has already been committed to support Scotland’s wave industry get to the first array stage.
The £2.8 million awarded to the innovations projects will help to reduce costs and risks associated with early wave and tidal arrays such as those planned developments in the Pentland Firth & Orkney Waters, and other marine locations around Scotland.
