A film crew from NHK Japan, the Japanese equivalent of the BBC, have been in Orkney with a busy schedule to capture the vast array of activity taking place here in the marine renewables industry (pictured filming inside the Billia Croo substation). They interviewed Managing Director Neil Kermode, visited the EMEC offices, wave and tidal test sites, filmed with a number of developers and even flew over the test sites to get an aerial view. Following the Fukushima disaster, Japan’s interest in its own marine energy potential has increased, and EMEC is working closely with the Ocean Energy Association of Japan to develop a Japanese Marine Energy Centre (click here for further details).

Coming up

Eileen Linklater, EMEC’s Client Relationship and Marketing Manager will be at the Global Marine Renewable Energy Conference (GMREC) in Washington D.C. next week.

Farewell

Finally, congratulations and good luck to Jennifer (Jen) Falconer, our Data Technician, who is leaving us today for pastures new. All the best for the new job from all of your colleagues here at EMEC.

Last week EMEC was pleased to welcome Pippa Goldschmidt from Marine Scotland for a visit. Before visiting Billia Croo and the EMEC observation point at the Black Craig, Jenny Norris and Neil Kermode explained the ongoing research and wildlife monitoring taking place there, and discussed Marine Scotland’s Marine Spatial Planning work.

EMEC’s Commercial Director Richard Morris gave keynote speeches at the Global Marine Conference in Seattle last week, and the AWATEA 4th Annual Conference in Wellington, New Zealand this week.

With the Scottish Government encouraging commercial-scale marine energy production in the Pentland Firth and Orkney waters, 42 applications are under consideration from 20 bidders keen to join this green energy revolution.

When The Crown Estate announces the successful candidates, it is expected that some of the sea bed leases for wave and tidal devices will fall within Orkney harbour limits.

From their base at Scapa, staff at Orkney Islands Council’s Marine Services control room keep a close eye on these waters, which are used extensively by oil and gas tankers, cruise liners and other vessels.

Now a significant rise in marine activity linked to renewables is expected in the run-up to the deployment of “arrays” of wave and tidal energy devices, some of which are expected to be within the existing Orkney harbour area.

The special briefing was made to the Marine Services team by EMEC, the Orkney-based European Marine Energy Centre, and Stromness environmental consultants Aquatera.

“Our own test sites for wave and tidal technologies are already witnessing a steady growth in activity,” said EMEC managing director Neil Kermode.

“We expect that to increase in the months and years ahead, as more marine energy devices go into the water at the test sites, in the Pentland Firth and elsewhere in Orkney waters.”

Marine Services is already providing strong support to the sector. Tugs have been used to deliver and deploy marine energy devices, developers have made use of Orkney’s existing harbour facilities – and the council is investing 3 million (pounds) in developing Lyness as a marine renewables base.

“With Orkney’s capacity to deliver what the industry needs we were delighted to provide an inside view on where we believe this is all heading,” said Mr Kermode.

“We particularly believe the control room team at Scapa is well placed – and well equipped – to monitor this growth in activity, which reflects the huge potential for wave and tidal energy generation from the waters around our islands.”

Aquatera managing director Gareth Davies said: “We are already seeing plenty of activity out on the water linked to marine renewables, something that will ramp up considerably once the successful candidates for sea bed leases are announced by The Crown Estate.

“So it is heartening to see OIC Marine Services taking such a pro-active approach to the key role they can play in ensuring this growing activity is carried out both safely and successfully.”

The Scapa control room operates 24/7, monitoring marine activity and providing a wealth of information for shipping.

Director of Marine Services, Captain Nigel Mills, said: “Our team has a well deserved reputation for their skill and expertise in handling the considerable tanker activity we’ve witnessed in Orkney waters over more than three decades.

“That experience is also crucial in running other complex operations – everything from ship-to-ship transfers of oil and gas to the safe arrival and departure of giant cruise ships carrying thousands of passengers.

“It means we are well placed to help co-ordinate operations as activity linked to marine renewables increases in Orkney waters.

“With these waters seen as crucial to the Scottish Government’s plans for sustainable energy generation, we are determined to do all we can to nurture this emerging new industry.”

Last Friday a special training session for the Orkney Islands Council Marine Services team was delivered by EMEC and Stromness environmental consultants Aquatera. With the Scottish Government encouraging commercial-scale marine energy production in the Pentland Firth and Orkney waters, the training is in preparation for a big increase in wave and tidal energy generation. Marine Services is already providing strong support to the sector with £3 million to be spent by the council in developing Lyness as a marine renewable base. Their control room keeps a close eye on Orkney waters, which are used extensively by oil and gas tankers, cruise liners and other vessels, and is well placed – and well equipped – to monitor the growth in activity around our islands. With Orkney’s capacity to deliver what the industry needs, Neil Kermode and Dr Gareth Davies from Aquatera were keen to provide an inside view on future development.

Jenny Norris, Research & Consents Manager and John Lawrence, Hydrodynamicist, both attended the EquiMar project mid-term review at the European Commission in Brussels this week. The EquiMar project is a collaborative research and development project involving a consortium of 23 partners. The aim of EquiMar is to deliver a suite of protocols for the equitable evaluation of marine energy converters (based on either tidal or wave energy). Outputs from the EquiMar project will establish a sound base for future international marine energy standards. EMEC plays an active role in the amalgamation of this work with relevant standards work being undertaken in the UK. For more information see the EquiMar website.

Finally, we had a number of visitors to EMEC this week including a group of worldwide employees from Scottish Development International. They stopped in Orkney as part of a Scottish familiarisation trip on the theme of marine renewables. Sarah Boyack and David Stewart MSPs also came to EMEC, where Eileen Linklater gave a presentation on current activities made possible through Government support, before being joined by a group from the Orkney Renewable Energy Forum (OREF) for an interesting round table discussion on Orkney’s potential, the importance of grid connections and how to prepare for future growth. Eileen also gave a presentation to environmental and engineering staff from the Xodus Group, international oil and gas consultants, who visited the wave test site at Billa Croo.

Monday and Tuesday, 17th and 18th December saw the visit from two teachers on a placement here at EMEC, organised in conjunction with Careers Scotland. This is on a pilot programme intended to encourage pupils to be enthused about science and technology industries that are real and happening in an area near them! Topher Dawson from Ullapool and Susan Brown from Elgin had a busy and I hope enjoyable and informative, two days here at EMEC, ICIT and OREF. They took back lots of ideas about curriculum enhancement and we look forward to future feedback from the visit.

The operations team were busy last week with an ADCP deployment at the wave test site at Billia Croo and also the deployment of a wave rider buoy. This took advantage of a spell of calm and bright weather, such as today brings, on the eve of a holiday break.

The photograph shows a suitably seasonal Billia Croo, the wave test site. The snow hasn’t fallen as such, yet this year, but there’s plenty of winter left!

Therefore, all that remains, is to wish you all a peaceful and happy Christmas and a productive and interesting New Year, in what promises to be a busy time for EMEC!

EMEC managing director Neil Kermode said: “We’re delighted to have won such a prestigious award. It provides further validation of the world leading role that EMEC, Orkney and the Highlands and Islands have to play in this vitally important new energy sector.”

Irish company OpenHydro has successfully installed a tidal turbine at the test site, where the tide runs at eight knots (four metres per second) through an offshore channel called the Fall of Warness. “The pioneering work done by OpenHydro has been a model of determination and good organisation” Mr Kermode said. “But they wouldn’t be doing this work in Scotland without the vision of our funders in creating EMEC. The dream of generating substantial amounts of energy from the sea is now within our grasp. We are determined to make it work and this award provides an excellent illustration of why it remains vitally important that we all continue to invest in the marine energy sector.”

The Best Renewable Innovation Award is sponsored by Scottish Enterprise and recognises EMEC’s pivotal role in enabling Scotland to become a world leader in tidal and wave energy generation.

The photo shows Neil Kermode (centre), managing director of EMEC, at the awards ceremony with BBC Scotland presenter Sally Magnusson and Brian Dixon, Scottish Enterprise’s director of energy.

Our Managing Director, Neil Kermode and Edwina Cook, Business Development/Client Relationship Officer attended the Green Energy Awards in Edinburgh yesterday. EMEC are delighted to have been awarded the Best Renewable Innovation Award for the Tidal Test Facility – see separate news item for further information.

Working groups discussed the following 6 standards:

• Wave Performance Testing
• Environmental Impact
• Project Development
• Design Basis
• Wave Resource Assessment
• Manufacture and Factory Testing

Introductory presentations were made by Clare Lavelle (ScottishPower Renewables), Ian Richardson (British Standards BSI), and Winsome Grigor (The Environment Council).

We would like to thank ScottishPower Renewables for their generous support which made this meeting possible.

Visitors this week have included Careers Scotland, Orkney Tourism Group, and the latest batch of MSc students at ICIT.

The newly calibrated wave rider buoy has arrived back at EMEC. The photograph shows the buoys at original deployment in 2004.

The Operations Team recovered the ACDP from the Fall of Warness testing programme last week.

OpenHydro have been busy on the tidal test site and have successfully exchanged the turbine to the latest model. They are very happy with the procedure and continue into the next phase of testing.

Jennifer Norris attended the Northern Lighthouse Board’s Scottish Users’ Consultative Group 2007 and gave a presentation summarising the wave and tidal industry and possible scenarios for future deployment in UK waters. This was enthusiastically received and positive discussions ensued.

The web site has been updated recently as some of you may have noticed. This is ongoing so watch this space!

Eloi Droniou has been in San Diego at the ADCP in Action Conference. He gave a presentation which was very well received and prompted lots of fruitful discussion.

Visitors this week included a party from Xodus Aurora Aberdeen and Orkney to the Tidal Test Site. Today saw a visit from The Hyperdrive Corporation from Japan and Stanford Research Institute in California to the Wave Test Site. They gave a very interesting presentation of their work to EMEC and ICIT.