Blog: France 2 TV report on Orkney’s pioneering energy ahead of COP21

France 2 interviewing Neil Kermode at Billia Croo, October 2015

France 2 TV (the French equivalent of BBC 1) visited Orkney last month to showcase the pioneering steps being taken by Orcadians towards a sustainable future. The crew interviewed Neil Kermode at EMEC’s wave test site on a sunny October afternoon and were fascinated by the advancements taking place in marine energy. The programme also features Keith Johnstone, amateur meteorologist, and local resident Steve Sankey who generates his own electricity via a wind turbine and solar panels to power his house and electric car.

Orkney has the largest number of electric vehicles per capita in Scotland, and with over 550 domestic wind turbines and over 300 small scale solar installations, the country also boasts the highest proportion of domestic renewables installed per household in the UK. Orkney’s seas have also hosted more wave and tidal energy technologies than at any other single site in the world, with 16 different developers having tested 25 devices at EMEC’s test sites.

For any French speakers, the programme is available to watch online here: http://www.francetvinfo.fr/meteo/climat/cop21/cop21-la-lecon-de-l-archipel-des-orcades_1156629.html