EMEC Nursery Sites (intermediate scale test facilities)
The European Marine Energy Centre’s scale test facilities provide the opportunity for prototype marine energy technologies to undergo sea trials in more gentle conditions than those experienced at the main wave and tidal test sites.
The new facilities will make it as easy as possible for developers to bring concepts and test them in accessible, real sea conditions, without the need for the big vessels or large plant used in the deployment of full-scale machines.
Funding from the UK Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) supported the creation of berths with moorings foundations, for wave and tidal machines, plus an area of seabed for rehearsal of deployment techniques.
Location
The EMEC scale test sites are situated adjacent to the Orkney mainland.
Wave Scale Test Site: Scapa Flow, NW off St Mary’s Bay
Co-ordinates:
58°53.32'N 2°56.9'W
58°53.435'N 2°56.6'W
58°53.9'N 2°57.0'W
58°53.78'N 2°57.3'W
Tidal Scale Test Site: Shapinsay Sound, off Head of Holland
Co-ordinates:
59°00.15'N 2°53.26'W
59°00.27'N 2°53.05'W
59°00.09'N 2°52.31'W
58°59.90'N 2°52.48'W
Services
At each of its scale test sites, EMEC offers developers the use of a Test Support Buoy. The unique design of these new platforms incorporates state-of-the-art technology. The buoy can relay data by wireless technology allowing developers to monitor performance remotely, as well as dissipating electricity generated by the device. The buoys are also equipped to supply the marine energy devices on test with power and act as navigational aids.
Each scale test site comprises one berth with pre-laid foundation and attachment points, and adjacent blank test area. The pre-laid foundations on each berth comprise 5 of 5m x 5m x 2m gravity-base frames loaded with densecrete blocks for equipment moorings. If required, the device under test will be connected to the Test Support Buoy via two umbilical cables: one for power transmission and the other for control and communications.
Developers are able to choose between the following berth utilisation possibilities:
- Use the leased area, providingown moorings and power dissipation
- Use the leased area and EMEC moorings but providing own power dissipation
- Use the leased area, EMEC moorings and EMEC Test Support Buoy.
For further information, or to register interest please use the contact form on this website.
The sites' energy resources have, and continue to be, assessed using surface-mounted waverider buoys with integral downward pointing acoustic doppler profiler (ADCP) measuring currents. Multibeam sonar, sub-bottom profiling, and magnetometer surveys of both sites have also been completed, with further environmental surveys currently underway.
For more information please download our nursery facilities for scale testing leaflet.