Press release: EMEC make ICE top 200 influencing world projects
To mark the Institution of Civil Engineers’ (ICE’s) 200th anniversary, and to support UK Government’s Year of Engineering, the Institution is highlighting 200 inspirational and world-changing projects from around the world throughout 2018.
Nominated by the ICE’s members and selected by an expert panel, the chosen projects illustrate the breadth and depth of civil engineering’s impact.
The European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) is one of the 200 projects being highlighted having supported the demonstration of more wave and tidal energy technologies in Orkney waters than at any other site in the world.
Established in 2003, EMEC is the world’s leading facility supporting the testing, demonstration and verification of wave and tidal energy devices, with 20 developers from 11 different countries having tested their cutting-edge renewable technology at EMEC.
There are numerous success stories including the world’s largest floating tidal test turbine, Scotrenewables’ SR1-2000, which has generated up to 7% of Orkney’s electricity needs on occasion.
This activity has acted as a catalyst for economic growth in the region, encouraging local talent to take advantage of the jobs being created on their doorstep whilst also attracting people to move to the Orkney from across the world.
Orkney is now host to a highly experienced supply chain for the wave and tidal energy sectors, servicing local projects as well as exporting their knowledge and expertise globally.
The Carbon Trust estimate that 20% of the UK’s electricity could come from marine renewables; an industry in which the UK is in pole position and in which there are world-wide export opportunities worth billions.
Neil Kermode, Managing Director of EMEC:
“EMEC are delighted to have been recognised for the pioneering and world-changing work that is taking place on our sites. As well as the fantastic achievements in device development and testing, we are also driving and supporting projects which are daily fostering innovation at our test centre. In the last 12 months alone we became the first to produce hydrogen from tidal energy and recently hosted the deployment of Microsoft’s underwater data centre here in Orkney.
“All the advances taking place at EMEC bring huge opportunities to the marine industries of the UK. With the continued encouragement, further investment and commitment from the UK Government, we know marine energy will help make the UK a prosperous, decarbonised and green economy.”
To view the project page, visit: ICE’s EMEC Page
