Press release: EMEC advising development of Nagasaki marine energy test centre

Nagasaki Marine Industry Cluster Promotion Association visit to EMEC, Orkney (October 2015)

The European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) has furthered its ties with Japan having signed a contract to provide advice on the development of a marine energy test facility in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan.

EMEC will advise on the infrastructure needed to develop a test site, from subsea cables, and grid connection to resource data instrumentation, as well as the wider infrastructure required in the region to support marine energy deployments.

A review of the marine renewables industry will also be undertaken, alongside support in business planning, operational procedures, and health and safety.

The announcement today follows EMEC becoming a member of NaMICPA (the Nagasaki Marine Industry Cluster Promotion Association) earlier in the year, to help support the development of marine renewables in Japan and stimulate further collaboration between the two countries.

In October, a 28-strong delegation from NaMICPA visited Orkney, including representatives from Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Nagasaki Economic Research Institute, and Nagasaki Prefectural Government, to discuss how the two regions can work together to progress marine renewables.

Oliver Wragg, Commercial Director at EMEC, said:

“Having planned, developed and operated 18 real sea test berths of its own in Orkney, 14 of which are grid-connected, EMEC has overcome many obstacles, and has accumulated a great deal of learning about the do’s and don’ts of marine energy test site development.

“We’re delighted to be working with the Wind Energy Institute of Tokyo to help them develop marine energy in Japan. Just as EMEC stimulated interest and investment for marine energy in the UK in 2003, a Japanese test centre has the potential to kick-start the sector in Japan. And that will benefit wave and tidal technologies currently in development as there will be a wider international market for them when they reach commercialisation.”

Akihiro Suzuki, President of the Wind Energy Institute of Tokyo:

“This project is a new challenge for the marine industry in Nagasaki. The cooperation with EMEC, as well as the Scottish government, is essential for the successful planning of the new test centre and the development of the local supply chain. We are very excited to work with EMEC as the advisor for this Nagasaki project.”

Makoto Takahira, Director of Nagasaki Marine Industry Cluster Promotion Association:

“The creation of Nagasaki Marine Energy Centre is an important step to accelerate development of ocean renewable energy in Japan as well as to create new marine industrial cluster in Nagasaki. We would like to learn from EMEC how to effectively manage the marine energy test centre and exchange information with supply chain companies in Orkney. We are keen to contribute to the development of ocean renewable energy not only in Japan but also in Asia on the basis of the relationship between Scotland and Nagasaki, which have unique and long history. Having the support from EMEC, who has accumulated valuable expertise, we trust that Nagasaki Marine Energy Centre will be successfully realized.”

Paul O’Brien, Energy and Low Carbon Technologies at Scottish Development International:

“This is an excellent example of how Scotland can help accelerate the ocean energy market in Japan through EMEC sharing their experience and knowledge, garnered over the last 12 years, to help speed up the delivery of Nagasaki Prefecture’s own tidal energy test centre”

Over the past five years the number of marine energy test centres around the world has grown, and EMEC has established relationships with many of them via a series of memorandums of understanding, commercial contracts, and by facilitating networking events for test centres to share learning and challenges, and ensure they are working on common standards.

EMEC has been building on its ties with Japan since 2012, when the company signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ocean Energy Association of Japan (OEAJ) to provide advice and support in the development of a Japan Marine Energy Centre (JMEC).