Scotland’s ability to meet its renewable energy targets will be significantly boosted by the creation of a new Marine Renewables Test Centre at the University of Dundee.
The Centre will become a leading facility for the development, design and testing of marine renewable construction materials and prototype foundations.
‘Scotland is well placed to deliver offshore wind and marine renewables and meet its ambitious targets for 2020 but there are still some significant challenges to be addressed,’ said Professor Rod Jones, Head of the new Centre.
‘Although considerable progress has been made in developing and manufacturing turbines, the main challenges now lie in the design, commissioning and deployment of key structural components such as concrete foundations for offshore wind farms.
‘The renewables sector is one that has been predicted to create up to 40,000 jobs and £30billion of investment to the Scottish economy, as well as providing the country’s main energy solutions. This Centre will help realise those ambitious goals.’
Fergus Ewing, Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism , welcomed the creation of the Centre by saying, ‘The test centre in Dundee will complement the internationally recognised facilities provided by Flowave TT located at the University of Edinburgh and, of course, the world leading testing facilities offered at EMEC.’
The £2million Centre is being supported by with £833,000 funding newly announced by the European Regional Development Fund.
The Offshore Renewables Institute was launched earlier this year with the aim of becoming a recognised global authority on the delivery and implementation of offshore renewable energy.
The Institute is a partnership which brings together experts from different disciplines at the University of Dundee, the University of Aberdeen and Robert Gordon University with the aim of developing and delivering solutions for the offshore wind industry in the North Sea and globally.
[mappress]
Press release, January 14, 2014; Image: flickr