News this week

This week has been a very positive week for the renewables industry in Scotland with a number of key announcements and reports highlighting the achievements that are being demonstrated throughout the sector, and confirming that renewable energy is not only a significant contributor to the energy mix, but also to the Scottish economy.

Scottish Renewables launched their report “Delivering the Ambition: employment in renewable energy in Scotland” at their Annual Conference in Edinburgh. The study is the first comprehensive assessment of full-time equivalent renewables posts in Scotland and found that over 11,000 people are currently employed in renewables covering renewable energy development, the direct supply chain, academia and the wider public sector. Click here for the full press release.

Further to this, provisional renewable energy statistics published this week by The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) show that around 35% of Scotland’s electricity needs came from renewables in 2011, significantly exceeding the interim renewable electricity target of 31%. If achieved, the Scottish Government’s ambitious target for 100% of electricity demand to be generated by renewables by 2020 could provide up to 40,000 jobs across Scotland, as well as considerably reducing our carbon emissions and creating an indigenous energy resource. For more information on the Scottish Government’s targets, check out the 2020 Routemap for Renewable Energy in Scotland.

EMEC would also like to extend our congratulations to Richard Yemm, founder of Pelamis Wave Power, who was commended on his commitment to the development of wave energy generation when First Minister Alex Salmond presented him with the Annual Saltire Prize Medal at the Scottish Renewables Annual Conference Dinner in Edinburgh on Tuesday. The First Minister also announced that Terry Garcia, Executive Vice President (Missions Programs), National Geographic Society will chair the Saltire Prize Challenge Committee, with EMEC’s Neil Kermode accepting the position as Deputy Chair. Click here for further details.

EMEC news

EMEC is delighted to have been shortlisted for the 7th Annual British Renewables Energy Awards in the Flagship Project category. The event, organised by the Renewable Energy Association (REA) will take place on 21st June 2012. Watch this space.

Eileen Linklater, EMEC’s Client Relationship and Marketing Manager attended the Scottish Renewables Conference on Tuesday, and participated in the ‘Innovation – Technological Viability and Optimisation’ session, chaired by Calum Davidson, Director of Energy and Low Carbon, HIE.

EMEC’s Research Director, Jennifer Norris, has recently returned from China where she visited the Ocean University of China (OUC) – with whom EMEC formed a strategic alliance last year – and the National Ocean Technology Centre (NOTC), discussing areas for future research collaboration.

And finally, EMEC were astounded by the knowledge and enthusiasm shown by Stromness Primary School’s P5 class who visited EMEC on Wednesday, as part of their project on renewable energy. For more details on what they got up to, and a video showing them waddling back to the school like Penguins (following a discussion on why Wello’s Penguin is so named) visit the Class Blog.

Photo: Donald Sinclair, Engineering Technician, explaining the different wave and tidal concepts, and the class generating their own electricity by blowing air threw straws to turn a miniature turbine.