Guest blog: David Krohn, RenewableUK, reflects on his visit to EMEC

David Krohn, Wave and Tidal Energy Development Manager for RenewableUK, recently visited EMEC with his colleague Nick Medic, Director of Offshore Renewables. He reflects below on how valuable it was seeing all the activity taking place here up close and personal:

“The scale of the devices is just enormous, as is the scale of the challenge!”

“It was with great excitement that I boarded the plane to Kirkwall, off for my first trip up to EMEC. So much of the real work being done in the marine energy sector takes place at this pioneering facility and it really is the centre of the world for wave and tidal power. My primary motivation for heading up to Orkney was to learn directly from the people on the coal face and the EMEC staff shared their time generously. From updates on their licensing work to the planning of a H&S guide for site operatives to a lively debate on what the sector needs to do next, I found the discussions enlightening and thought provoking.

“On our first afternoon, we headed to the Billia Croo wave site to see the Aquamarine Oyster and ScottishPower Renewables Pelamis devices operating – up close and personal. It was truly a thrill to lay eyes on the technologies I spend so much of my time talking about. We were allowed access to the onshore facilities too, which really drove home just what a complex business marine energy is… The scale of the devices is just enormous, as is the scale of the challenge!

“The next morning we took a ferry out to Lyness to see E.ON’s Pelamis device stationed there. The trip took us between the extremely beautiful islands and we got a sense of the various ways Orcadians are decarbonising their energy mix. Neil had told us that 2013 would be the year that the Orkney islands would generate 100% of their energy demand from renewable sources and you could believe it with the number of wind turbines churning out electricity for the local population. When we arrived at Lyness, Rob from Pelamis was waiting for us at the pier and we again experienced the Orcadian willingness to help and share knowledge. Rob gave us access to the control room and showed us how the devices are monitored. He educated us on some of the more technical points of operating a utility scale wave device and told us of the successes and challenges he’d experienced in his time with Pelamis. We left Lyness with a much more complete knowledge of the Pelamis device and filled with his infectious optimism!

“In contrast to the snow, rain, sleet and hail of Wednesday, we woke up to a perfectly clear and still day on Thursday. Neil had very kindly organised a RIB to take us out to the tidal site in the Fall of Warness. The first thing that really strikes you is the volume and turbulence of the water moving through the channel. Getting out onto the water really makes you realise just how difficult generating energy from the tides is. I’m proud to be part of an industry that faces this challenge head on and has made such immense progress in the last few years. EMEC really has some of the best infrastructure in the world and it was a privilege to be guided by one of the leading experts in the world. Neil’s knowledge is second to none and he answered a range of pretty difficult questions with ease! Our final stop of the tour took us to see the Tidal Generation Limited 0.5 MW and Scotrenewables 0.25MW devices. It was amazing to see the devices from so close and again the size of them filled me with awe. Handling such huge pieces of machinery in such challenging environments requires specialised equipment and it was really interesting to see the various cranes and access devices used to deploy the turbines.

“Getting out onto the water really makes you realise just how difficult generating energy from the tides is.”

“I’ll never forget my trip up to EMEC and learning from such experienced and knowledgeable people made the time extremely worthwhile. From the warm of the Orcadians to the spectacular landscapes to the complex and rewarding work going on there, the Orkney Islands will forever keep a special place in my heart. Thank you to everybody at EMEC for being such great hosts and helping me to expand my knowledge of the industry. It was a huge pleasure visiting you and I hope it won’t be too long before I get the chance to visit again.”