Marine energy investment to help set up new engineering hub

Government to invest £5 million in six marine energy projects

The Scottish government has allocated almost £5 million to the marine energy sector that it says will help establish a global engineering hub in Edinburgh.

Tidal power company Atlantis Resources Corporation is to receive £2 million from the Renewable Energy Investment Fund (REIF) to set up the centre of excellence.

Five other marine energy projects will also benefit from a £2.8 million share of the Marine Renewables Commercialisation Fund (MRCF).

Energy minister Fergus Ewing told the RenewableUK wave and tidal conference and exhibition: “Scotland is at the forefront of developing offshore and low carbon energy generation technology with some of the world's greatest wind, wave and tidal resources heavily concentrated in the waters around our country.

“Our ambition for Scotland's emerging wave and tidal sector remains great. We know that the successful harnessing of ocean power takes hard work and persistence and the Scottish Government is determined to support those within the industry.”

Atlantis chief executive Tim Cornelius added: “This investment is clearly a serious vote in confidence in Atlantis's plans as a tidal energy developer and our plans to deliver Scotland's first major tidal energy project in the Pentland Firth.

“However, its benefits won't stop there. It will not only create Scottish jobs here today but also help create new foreign markets to export Scottish skills, putting Scotland at the forefront of the fast-growing global tidal energy sector."

The £18 million MRCF is a Scottish government fund administered by the Carbon Trust to support the marine energy sector in Scotland. The £103 million REIF, meanwhile, was created to support marine, district heating and community renewable projects.