Carbon Trust

Accelerating Marine Energy: The potential for cost reduction – insights from the Carbon Trust Marine Energy Accelerator | July 2011

The potential for wave and tidal stream to make a material contribution to the UK’s energy mix is well recognised, and is reflected in the level of UK activity. As the industry moves from full-scale prototype stage to first arrays, the key challenge facing the marine energy industry is lowering the cost of energy generation. The Marine Energy Accelerator (MEA) has supported technology innovation over the past four years, and has set out clear pathways for future cost of energy reduction: with sufficient focus on innovation we believe the costs of energy from marine generators can be competitive with other renewable technologies by the mid 2020s.

Climate Xchange

Review of demand for hydrogen derivatives and products | June 2025

Scotland has abundant renewable energy resources that could supply significantly more energy than it consumes. This presents a substantial opportunity for Scotland to become a net exporter of low-carbon energy, boosting employment, supporting economic growth and helping to deliver international decarbonisation.

This research reviewed, assessed, and ranked the potential of technologies that could enable cost-efficient domestic and international trade of hydrogen, as well its derivatives and products. The report also identifies offtake sectors and countries, assesses the scale of demand in potential markets, and identifies gaps and opportunities in domestic and international policy.

Crown Estate Scotland

Marine energy sector profile | 2023

For all publications from Crown Estate Scotland: Documents

European Commission

An EU Strategy to harness the potential of offshore renewable energy for a climate neutral future | Nov 2020

To help meet the EU’s goal of climate neutrality by 2050, the European Commission presents the EU Strategy on Offshore Renewable Energy. The Strategy proposes to increase Europe’s offshore wind capacity from its current level of 12 GW to at least 60 GW by 2030 and to 300 GW by 2050. The Commission aims to complement this with 40 GW of ocean energy and other emerging technologies such as floating wind and solar by 2050. Also see: press release.

European Space Agency (ESA)

Space for Ocean Energy: Use cases and market opportunities | July 2023

This report highlights the key areas where space-based applications and technologies can play an important role to overcome challenges such as effective and efficient location scouting, bankability estimations, environmental policy decision making, monitoring and maintence and system planning and transmission activities.

Energy Technologies Institute (ETI)

Marine Energy Technology Roadmap | 2014

Technology roadmaps are tools that provide a framework for stimulating innovation in specific technology areas in order to achieve a long term vision, target or goal. The aim of this roadmap is to facilitate the establishment of a commercially viable marine energy sector in the UK, supported by an extensive supply chain, thereby building the skills and capacity necessary to enable the sector to make a material and cost-effective contribution to the delivery of the UK’s energy and climate change goals.

ETIP Ocean

Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda for Ocean Energy | October 2024

This Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) for ocean energy outlines the priority research, development and innovation challenges that must be focused upon in the years ahead. The SRIA gives guidance to all funders of innovation – industry, EU, national and regional – by presenting concrete research and innovation actions that will allow ocean energy to meet its SET Plan targets.

A European Ocean Energy Industry – the €140bn Economic Opportunity | June 2022

ETIP Ocean undertook extensive economic modelling work to establish the economic and jobs impacts of ocean energy deployments under two contrasting scenarios: Europe leading the global market, or Europe following the global market. It reports that by taking the lead in the global ocean energy market, Europe will benefit from economic activity worth €140bn by 2050

Powering Homes Today, Powering Nations Tomorrow | 2019

The report analyses the challenges faced by the sector on the route to industrial roll-out and proposes four actions to overcome them. Dedicated revenue support at national level is essential to attract investment for ocean energy farms. Alongside revenue support, a model for ‘blended’ public finance will allow the next round of ocean energy projects to reach financial close. The report highlights ocean energy’s recent successes, with record volumes of power being supplied to the grid by tidal stream technology, and several promising scale and full-sized wave devices going into the water. It reiterates ocean energy’s potential of providing 10% of Europe’s current electricity consumption by 2050.

International Energy Agency 

Advancing Clean Energy Demonstration Projects | December 2024 

This report provides an update on clean energy demonstrations worldwide based on project-level information featured in the IEA Clean Energy Demonstration Projects Database. It draws on the latest available information on funding and development status for projects across segments including hydrogen and hydrogen-based fuels, power generation and storage, industry, transport and CO2 management. The report also looks at examples of government support and funding instruments for demonstration projects that could potentially help accelerate the innovation journey.

IRENA (International Renewable Energy Agency)

Innovation Outlook: Ocean Energy Technologies | Dec 2020

This outlook from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) examines the status and prospects of ocean energy technologies. It examines the operating principles, current installed capacity and projected project pipeline, along with markets and theoretical energy potential for each ocean energy type. The report also identifies challenges and offers recommendations to accelerate the deployment and commercialisation of each technology.

Marine Energy Wales

State of the sector: Economic benefits for Wales | 2023

Wales has experienced an unprecedented surge in spending and investment, with a staggering £103.4 million recorded. The primary catalysts for this are infrastructure expansions, which are paving the way for upcoming deployments.

National Hydropower Association (NHA)

Commercialization Strategy for Marine Energy | 2021

Report set industry deployment targets for ocean energy and calls on the U.S. Federal Government to accelerate commercialization of marine energy technologies (wave, tidal, ocean current, ocean thermal, and riverine) by increasing financial support for research and development, reducing market barriers and creating financial incentives for technology deployment.

Ocean Energy Europe

Scaling up investments in ocean energy technologies | March 2023

Public financing of ocean energy must be designed to create a ‘pull’ for private investment in a global market that could reach 350 Gigawatts by 2050, says a new report co-authored by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and Ocean Energy Europe (OEE). By making sure funding instruments are adapted to meet the sector’s needs, governments around the world can leverage private financing, speed up technological development and drive down costs.

Ocean energy: Key trends and statistics | 2022

The annual key trends and statistics publication from Ocean Energy Europe gathers data from the sector to present the latest state-of-play in Europe and worldwide.

Last Stop to 2025 – A 2022 Action Plan to deliver on the Offshore Strategy’s Ocean Energy Target | June 2022

The twin geopolitical and energy crises have thrown into sharp relief the high costs of Europe’s continued fossil gas dependency. Rising prices and supply threats clearly highlight the necessity to quickly decarbonise and diversify our energy mix. Ocean energy is now more relevant than ever.

Ocean energy and the environment: Research and strategic actions | Dec 2020

This report identifies the key environmental research needs and consenting challenges that require action at an EU and national level, to facilitate the roll out of ocean energy. It analyses the latest environmental research and the current EU and national level policies and regulations regarding ocean energy. It makes environmental research, policy and regulatory recommendations and proposes a concrete Strategic Action Plan.

2030 Ocean Energy Vision | Oct 2020

Ocean Energy Europe’s vision for 2030 sets out the sector’s plans for ambitious deployments, dramatic cost reductions and exciting industrial growth over the coming decade. The document outlines high and low growth scenarios, maps the extensive supply chain and make recommendations for policy actions.

For further reports published by the Ocean Energy Europe: OEE publication library

Ocean Energy Forum

Ocean Energy Strategic Roadmap: Building Ocean Energy for Europe | November 2016

This Strategic Roadmap was commissioned by the European Commission Directorate-General in collaboration with the Ocean Energy Forum. The Ocean Energy Forum has been set up to bring together stakeholders to develop a shared understanding of the problems faced by the Ocean Energy sector and to collectively devise workable solutions. The Forum is supported by a Secretariat whose main role is to help ensure the production and timely delivery of the Strategic Roadmap. The Secretariat previously publicised the Draft Ocean Energy Forum Strategic Roadmap dated 12 October 2015. The period October 2015 through to 2016 focused on the analysis of the Roadmap evidence-base and progress on implementation of the Roadmap Key Recommendations with the final update of the Roadmap published in November 2016.

Ocean Energy Systems (OES)

OES-Environmental State of the Science Report: Environmental effects of marine renewable energy development around the world | September 2024

This report summarises the state of the science of environmental effects of marine renewable energy (MRE) and serves as an update and a complement to the 2020 State of the Science report. While the research and monitoring findings prior to 2020 are summarised throughout, the main focus of the report is on the more recent work. The report brings together the most up-to-date information on potential environmental effects of MRE development, using information from public sources as well as new scientific research, with input from representatives from 16 participating countries.

Spotlight on ocean energy | June 2024

The selection of 20 representative projects exemplifies the diverse range of ocean energy resources and technologies, including tidal and current energy, wave energy, salinity gradient energy, and ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC). Each project has been chosen to illuminate the innovative advancements driving the growth of this promising sector.The 10 key policy initiatives were selected to illustrate the commitment of governments worldwide. These initiatives, developed in collaboration with industry and academic leaders, ensures that the sector progresses towards sustainability goals with robust regulatory support and innovative policy frameworks.

Annual Report 2023

This report showcases the ocean energy sector’s strides towards innovation and sustainability. The report highlights the publication of a strategic roadmap aiming for 300 GW of ocean energy by 2050, advancements in the Stage-Gate Metrics Framework incorporating environmental considerations, and the ongoing study on the exploration of ocean energy in desalination processes. It also covers collaborative efforts on environmental impacts, alongside advancements in wave and tidal energy modeling and OTEC Economics. The collaborative initiatives emphasise IEA-OES’s commitment to fostering global ocean energy development, addressing both technological and environmental challenges.

Ocean Energy and Net Zero: An International Roadmap to Develop 300GW of Ocean Energy by 2050 | November 2023

This roadmap outlines a comprehensive strategy that will help to drive the global development of ocean energy.

Past reports: Past OES Annual Reports

Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult

Cost Reduction Pathway of Tidal Stream Energy in the UK and France | October 2022

This report documents the global state of the tidal market and presents a cost reduction trajectory taking tidal stream energy from its current price of £260/MWh down to £78/MWh by 2035. The report the drivers needed for tidal stream energy cost reduction including scaling up the size and power of tidal devices, and development of larger TSE farms.

Tidal stream: Opportunities for collaborative action | Feb 2019

This report was prepared to frame how the UK tidal stream industry can work collaboratively in a way which adds valuable capacity to the UK energy mix at an affordable cost and create long term export opportunities for a UK supply chain.

Tidal Stream and Wave Energy: Cost Reduction and Industrial Benefit | April 2018

This report summarises how marine energy industries can meet the UK Government’s requirements for determining support for new technologies, namely carbon reduction, cost reduction and demonstrating that the UK can be a world-leader in a global market.

Tidal Stream Technology Roadmap | March 2024

This report covers tidal stream (TS) cost reduction via technology innovation and demonstrates how cost reduction is crucial in enabling an accelerated growth trajectory for the sector.

For further reports published by the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult: ORE Catapult reports

Physics Powering the Green Economy

Physics Powering the Green Economy| January 2024

This report sets out the central role that physics innovation and physicists have played in realising the green economy of today, and the equally key part they will need to play in scaling up a sustainable, internationally competitive green economy in the UK and Ireland for the future – in particular as a ‘systems challenge’ how the skills that physicists have, and their way of thinking, is important in solving such a problem.

Targeted support for physics R&D, and business innovation, as part of a long-term systems approach to leadership, coordination and delivery to unlock more of the contribution physics can make, is vital to realising a thriving green economy in the UK and Ireland.

The IOP and the physics community are a partner in this grand challenge. We stand ready to lend our knowledge and skills to drive change. Now is a moment for action.

RenewableUK

Raising the bar: the world-leading energy commitments the UK should make ahead of COP26 | May 2021

This report outlines five targets and policies that RenewableUK recommend UK Government to adopt – both to advance our own decarbonisation and economic growth. These are: 1: 30GW onshore wind target by 2030, 2: 5GW minimum green hydrogen target by 2030, 3: 2GW floating wind target by 2030, 4: 1GW target for marine energy, 5: A ‘Just Transition Strategy’.

Export Nation: A Year in Wind, Wave and Tidal Exports | June 2018

RenewableUK’s Export Nation report looks into the number of countries to which UK-based firms are exporting goods and services in the wind, wave and tidal energy sectors. An indication of the range of the contracts being won around the world is included in this study.

Ocean Energy Race: The UK’s Inside Track | Feb 2017

The Ocean Energy Race report maps the new marine energy clusters which have sprung up around the country – in the South West of England, the Solent and the Isle of Wight, Wales and the Scottish Highlands and Islands. The sector is providing jobs and attracting millions of pounds in investment to some of the areas of the UK which need them most. Universities around the UK are playing a leading role in global research.

For further publications by Renewable UK on wave and tidal energy: Renewable UK Publications Search

Scottish Government

A Trading Nation: Realising Scotland’s Hydrogen Potential – A Plan for Exports | Nov 2024

Co-produced with stakeholders in the hydrogen sector, this plan aligns with the Scottish Government Hydrogen Action Plan and Green Industrial Strategy. It details the steps required for Scottish businesses to grasp the export opportunities hydrogen presents, as both a commodity and in the supply chain.

Green industrial strategy | Sept 2024

This publication identifies areas of strength and opportunity for Scotland to grow globally competitive industries in the transition to net zero. It outlines what government and partners will do to support stakeholders to create an enabling environment for investment and growth.

Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan | Jan 2023

To realise our climate change ambitions, we need to transform the way Scotland generates, transports and uses energy. This draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan sets out the scale of that opportunity and provides clarity on how Scotland will prepare for a Just Energy Transition. Annex G covers the draft marine energy vision for Scotland.

Hydrogen action plan | Dec 2022

Actions that will be taken over the next five years to support the development of a hydrogen economy to further our efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from Scotland ‘s energy system while ensuring a just transition.

Securing a green recovery on a path to net zero: climate change plan 2018–2032 | Dec 2020

This update to Scotland’s 2018-2032 Climate Change Plan sets out the Scottish Government’s pathway to our new and ambitious targets set by the Climate Change Act 2019. It is a key strategic document for green recovery from COVID-19.

Scottish Energy Strategy: The future of energy in Scotland | Dec 2017

This Strategy will guide the decisions that the Scottish Government, working with partner organisations, needs to make over the coming decades. Realising this Strategy’s vision will create opportunities for suppliers and consumers of energy. It will support work already planned or underway to achieve our long term climate change targets, and to address the impact of poor energy provision.

Scottish Renewables

Green Hydrogen Vision 2025 | December 2025

Scottish Renewables have published a report – ‘Green Hydrogen Vision 2025’ – outlining key recommendations that the UK Government and the National Energy System Operator (NESO) must adopt to secure Scotland’s green hydrogen future.

Scotland’s renewable energy industry – Supply chain impact statement 2024/25 | April 2025

Scottish Renewables’ Supply Chain Impact Statement 2024/25 brings together a snapshot of businesses working in Scotland’s renewable energy industry, demonstrating the breadth and talent currently evolving to support this rapidly-expanding sector.

The economic impact of Scotland’s renewable energy sector | June 2021

This report quantifies the contribution of renewable activities to employment, output, and gross value added in Scotland. This includes employment and activity in Scotland that are supported directly and through spill-over impacts by Scotland’s renewable energy sector.

Renewable energy’s rural impacts | July 2020

This report is an easily-accessible review of five economic studies carried out over the past three years. It shows the “remarkable an undeniable” positive effects of the sustainable development of wind, hydro power and marine energy deployment from Dumfries and Galloway in the south to Orkney in the north.

UK marine energy 2019: A new industry

This report sets out the role that the UK’s marine energy industry can play in our energy system and our economy, its unique attributes and the rationale for government to adopt a coordinated and strategic approach to support the sector’s development.

Industrial impact: The power of Scotland’s renewables sector | July 2018

This document takes a snapshot of the industrial impacts of Scotland’s new renewable energy economy, showcasing how the sector has built on Scotland’s existing strengths to deliver the industries of the future, raising and sharing prosperity among communities across the country. The document also features as an annex in Scottish Renewables’ response to the UK Government’s Industrial Strategy Green Paper.

Supergen & the Policy and Innovation Group at the University of Edinburgh

Disruptive Innovation and Industrial Modernisation: Pathways to Securing Offshore Renewable Energy Supply Chain Competitiveness | Jan 2026

This latest report from the Policy & Innovation Group at the University of Edinburgh, in collaboration with the Supergen ORE Hub, examines how the UK can align its dual ambitions of economic growth and Net Zero through the development of competitive domestic offshore renewable energy (ORE) supply chains

What is the value of innovative offshore renewable energy deployment to the UK economy? | April 2025

This study quantifies the potential economic benefit that the UK stands to gain through the deployment of innovative offshore renewable energy technologies (floating offshore wind, tidal stream, and wave energy) in domestic and international waters. These are quantified in terms of gross value added (GVA) and full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs.

Future Economic Potential of Tidal Stream and Wave Energy in Scotland | Jan 2025

This report highlights the potential future economic benefit from developing and deploying tidal stream and wave energy in Scotland, the rest of the UK, and from global exports.

This report shows that nearly 9 GW of tidal stream and wave energy could be deployed in Scottish waters by 2050 and that projects across the UK could generate over £8bn in economic benefit to the Scottish economy by 2050, with the potential for this value to increase via exports. These deployments could contribute over 15,000 jobs in 2050, with high-value jobs located in coastal communities around Scotland helping to address just transition ambitions.

UK Ocean Energy Review | 2024

The Policy and Innovation Group at the University of Edinburgh, in collaboration with the Supergen ORE Hub, Wave Energy Scotland and the Marine Energy Council, has published the 2024 UK Ocean Energy Review. This report is an expansion of the UK chapter, submitted by the Policy and Innovation Group, to the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) initiative on Ocean Energy Systems (OES).

Research and Innovation for Wave and Tidal Stream in the UK and EU | 2023 Summary

The Supergen Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Hub and the Policy and Innovation Group of University of Edinburgh has jointly published four reports investigating the potential of ocean energy (focusing on wave and tidal stream) in UK. This report summarises the main findings from the four reports below (listed in recommended reading order):

1. Delivering Net Zero: Forecasting Wave and Tidal Stream Deployment in UK Waters by 2050 | July 2023
2. What is the value of innovative offshore renewable energy deployment to the UK economy? | Sept 2021
3. What are the UK power system benefits from deployments of wave and tidal stream generation? | Jan 2023
4. Ocean Energy and Net Zero: Policy Support for the Cost Effective Delivery of 12GW Wave and Tidal Stream by 2050 | July 2023

Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council

SOWEC Innovation Guide | January 2025

This report by SOWEC showcases how offshore wind developers can use innovation projects to help grow Scotland’s supply chain and speed up the delivery of green energy production. Developed in partnership with the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, the SOWEC Innovation Guide highlights the cutting-edge innovation happening right across Scotland’s offshore wind industry, including undersea cabling surveying, drone turbine inspections, and subsea battery storage.

UK Government

Energy Innovation Needs Assessment | June 2025

The Energy Innovation Needs Assessments (EINAs) are an independent assessment of the role of innovation in key technologies in the UK’s future energy system.

Maritime decarbonisation strategy | March 2025

The Maritime decarbonisation strategy  on supporting the UK domestic maritime sector to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2025.

Build back better: our plan for growth | March 2021

A publication setting out the government’s plans to support economic growth through significant investment in infrastructure, skills and innovation.

UK hydrogen strategy | August 2021

The UK Hydrogen Strategy and supporting policy package lays the foundations for a thriving hydrogen economy, one that can support the UK’s trajectory to achieving our net zero commitments.

Powering our net zero future | Dec 2020

The UK Government’s Energy White Paper sets out what government will do over the next decade to cut carbon emissions and support new green jobs.

The ten point plan for a green industrial revolution | Nov 2020

The ten point plan sets out the approach government will take to build back better, support green jobs, and accelerate our path to net zero.

UK Research and Development Roadmap | July 2020

The government’s Research and Development (R&D) Roadmap sets out the UK’s vision and ambition for science, research and innovation.

UK Parliament POSTNOTE: Marine renewables | June 2020

A lack of revenue or subsidy support, as well as unique engineering challenges, have made the sector less competitive compared with other renewable technologies.

The future of marine renewables in the UK (House of Commons Energy and Climate Change Committee) | Feb 2012

The report examines the opportunities for the UK in developing wave and tidal energy and assesses the effectiveness of the Government’s broader policy measures in this area. The report identifies some of the potential benefits of wave and tidal energy and the main barriers to the development of the marine renewables sector, and look at the Government’s overarching strategy in developing the industry.

Wave Energy Scotland

Knowledge Library

Wave Energy Scotland is managing the most extensive technology programme of its kind in the wave energy sector. The Knowledge Library provides access to key information and documents generated through this world leading commercial and academic research & development.

Please contact us if you believe there are other documents that should be linked to on this page.

The purposes of performance assessment may be summarised as follows:

1. To provide an agreed methodology for the measurement of the power output of the WECS in a range of sea states
2. To provide an agreed framework for the reporting of the results of these measurements
3. To enable the estimation of the energy production of a WECS at a prospective site where wave power resource information of sufficient detail and quality exists

The achievement of these aims will allow developers of WECS to demonstrate to potential operators that their systems meet their claimed performance. More generally, the development of rigorous and agreed performance standards will build the credibility of the wave power industry as a whole.

Assessment of Performance of Wave Energy Conversion Systems

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We welcome comments on this document and if you would be willing to provide us with your name and email address we will send you a form to respond. Your email address will not be passed on, sold or otherwise used for anything other than this feedback.

AWS Ocean Energy	CorPower Ocean
Mocean Energy	OceanEnergy

Previous wave clients

Aquamarine Power	AW Energy
E.ON	Laminaria
Marine Power Systems (MPS)	Pelamis Wave Power
ScottishPower Renewables	Seatricity
Seabased	Wello Oy

The EMEC grid-connected wave test site was constructed in 2003, and is ideally placed on the western edge of the Orkney mainland, at Billia Croo outside Stromness.

Subjected to the powerful forces of the North Atlantic Ocean, it is an area with one of the highest wave energy potentials in Europe with an average significant wave height of 2 – 3 metres, but reaching extremes of up to 18m (the highest wave recorded by EMEC so far).

The site consists of five cabled test berths in up to 70m water depth (four at 50m, one deeper), located approximately 2km offshore and 0.5km apart. In addition to this, a near shore berth is situated closer to the substation for shallow water projects.

The five 11kv subsea cables feed into the EMEC substation which houses the main switchgear, backup generator and communications room, and has been carefully designed to minimise visual impact. These cables feed the electricity generated by the wave energy converters testing on site directly into the national grid.

Three waverider buoys are located on site measuring the wave height, period and direction, and a purpose-built weather station provides real-time met data for the site. This data is fed into a sophisticated SCADA (Supervisory, Control and Data Acquisition) system, with live data feeds on the wave and met conditions available to view on our website.

The test site berths are monitored by CCTV situated at our observations point at the Black Craig - a former coastguard lookout station which has been converted to house powerful cameras for monitoring the activity out at sea. This is controlled remotely from our data centre and office facilities.

Click here for an environmental description of the wave test site.

EMEC Wave test site Awareness Chart

This chart provides a graphical display of the wave test site at Billia Croo and the associated infrastructure.

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EMEC brochure 2024

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We can support you with the following in the lead up to and while using our facilities:

• Assistance with grid connection, Power Purchase Agreement and Renewable Obligations Certificate (ROC)/Contracts for Difference CfD);
• Independent assessment of devices’ energy conversion capabilities and survivability;
• Autonomous, internationally recognised performance assessment of devices (ISO/IEC 17025);
• Real-time technology, resource and environmental monitoring;
• Comprehensive assistance with consent and regulatory issues;
• Wave, tidal and environmental baseline data;
• Site permitting and risk management systems;
• 24/7 duty manager;
• Local research and engineering support;
• Nearby access to sheltered water and harbours;
• Office and data centre support;
• Full confidentiality of data.

Have a look at our client profiles for details of past demonstrations:

• Wave energy developer clients
• Tidal energy developer clients

Equipment, component or methodology testing

Our sites can also be used for developing new methodologies for challenging offshore environments and testing subsystems, equipment and components in real sea environments.

Have a look at our project profiles for details of past demonstrations:

• Environmental monitoring
• Subsystems and components
• Tools development

Whilst set up as an offshore energy test facility, our test sites can be used for demonstrating innovative technologies from other industries as well. For example, in 2018-20, a subsea datacentre was demonstrated at our Billia Croo wave test site. See: Microsoft demonstrate subsea data centre at EMEC

Further information

For more information on our testing facilities please visit the facilities section of the website, or download our brochure:

EMEC brochure 2024

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At EMEC, we provide test sites for wave and tidal stream energy converters, so when we refer to marine energy we are referring specifically to these two ocean energy sources.

What is wave energy?

Pioneer the transition to a clean energy future

Our mission:

As an innovation catalyst, EMEC reduces the time, cost and risk

of integrating ocean energy and associated low carbon technologies 

into the future energy system.

A not-for-profit innovation catalyst

pioneering the transition to a clean energy future.

Established in 2003, the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) Ltd is the world’s first and leading facility for demonstrating and testing wave and tidal energy converters – technologies that generate electricity by harnessing the power of waves and tidal streams – in the sea.

EMEC provides purpose-built, open-sea testing facilities for prototype technologies, subsystems and components. We operate two grid-connected test sites – the Fall of Warness tidal test site and Billia Croo wave test site – where larger prototypes are put through their paces in harsh wave and tidal regimes, as well as two scale test sites where smaller scale devices, or those at an earlier stage in their development, can gain real sea experience in less challenging conditions.

Attracting developers from around the globe, EMEC’s facilities help to prove what is achievable in some of the harshest marine environments while in close proximity to sheltered waters and harbours.

To date, more ocean energy converters have tested at EMEC than at any other site in the world.

EMEC is the world’s only recognised ISO/IEC 17025 test laboratory for ocean energy, operating to relevant test laboratory standards to provide independently-verified performance assessments. EMEC is at the forefront in the development of international standards for marine energy and is forging alliances with other countries, exporting our knowledge around the world to stimulate the development of a global marine renewables industry.

Building on our experience in developing the ocean energy sector, EMEC is exploring options for developing a national floating offshore wind test site to the west of Orkney. The site aims to offer floating wind developers representative metocean conditions to those in ScotWind, Celtic Seas and future leasing rounds. EMEC also runs the Offshore Wind R&I Programme to help the supply chain develop novel solutions for critical technical challenges.

EMEC is driving innovation in the integration of renewables with complementary energy vectors and alternative offtake industries. Our goal is to accelerate the commercialisation of offshore energy and demonstrate new solutions for decarbonising power, heat and transport. Our onshore and offshore facilities provide a test platform for first-of-a-kind and pilot scale demonstrations such as green hydrogen, battery storage, e-fuels, refuelling technologies, and subsea data centres.

Based in Orkney, we operate within an inspiring energy ecosystem with a rich history of innovation. This unique island environment has encouraged us to explore new opportunities to cut emissions and enhance resilience in the communities closest to our operations. A cornerstone of this work is the Islands Centre for Net Zero (ICNZ), a flagship initiative led by EMEC, with Orkney, Shetland and the Outer Hebrides collaborating to become lighthouse communities in the energy transition.

EMEC was set up to kick start an ocean energy sector in the UK and boost economic development in the Highlands and Islands. Over the years EMEC has grown and diversified, and unprecedented activity that has taken place in Orkney due to the presence of EMEC has been a catalyst for economic development, creating jobs and a world-leading supply chain now exporting skills and knowledge around the globe. An economic impact assessment calculated EMEC added £370 million GVA to the UK economy between 2003 and 2023.

EMEC was named Blue Economy Enterprise of the Year at the Scottish Highlands and Islands Rural Economy Awards 2021, Champion of Renewables at the Scottish Green Energy Awards 2021 and won the Outstanding Service Award at the Scottish Green Energy Awards 2023.