Blog: This week – International interest in EMEC

It’s been a busy week here at EMEC, with people coming from far and near to find out more about marine renewables in Orkney.

A Japanese mission from the Iwate Prefecture toured the various EMEC sites, beginning with an aerial tour over the islands, a visit to wave test site, and a boat trip out to the Fall of Warness. Interested in the local economic impact of marine renewables, the group also met with representatives from Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Orkney Islands Council, Aquatera and some of the tidal developers currently testing devices in Orkney.

A fact-finding delegation from the Faroe Islands were also in Orkney earlier this week, visiting the EMEC test sites, the Hatston and Lyness ports, and a number of wind development sites throughout the county. Orkney is of course a prime example of a sustainable small community with around 80% of our electricity supply sourced from renewables. To find out how much renewable energy is being produced in Orkney today, check out the live feed of Orkney’s renewables output on our website.

Attracting delegates from around the world, ICIT (The International Centre for Island Technology) held a workshop on the effects that marine renewable energy projects have on a small community. This included a tour of the wave test site, and a discussion with Neil Kermode on the marine renewable industry in Orkney.

And earlier today we hosted representatives from the Scottish Agricultural Society at the wave test site at Billia Croo, who were keen to gain more information about EMEC and the vast array of activity taking place in Orkney.