Engineering news
Scottish firms have secured £4 million of funding to develop marine technology.
The money, which comes in the form of contracts via Norwegian firm Hammerfest Strom UK, has been welcomed in Scotland as the first realisation of the industrial potential of its wave and tidal resources. Hammerfest Strom UK was awarded £4 million by the Carbon Trust in February this year.
The largest contract is for £2 million to Fife-based Burntisland Fabrication Limited (BiFab). BiFab is to develop ten Hammerfest Strom HS1000 tidal turbines which will be placed in the Sound of Islay, off the west coast, in 2013.
The HS1000 1MW device will first be tested at Orkney's European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) next year.
Scottish first minister, Alex Salmond, said: “Awarding £4 million of contracts to Scotland is a massive vote of confidence in the talent, expertise and infrastructure we have to support the development of a clean, green renewables future."
According to the Scottish government the seas around Scotland have an estimated 25% of Europe's offshore wind and tidal resources, and 10% of its wave potential.
BiFab's managing director John Robertson said: "The renewables sector has the potential to create many employment opportunities, it is products like this tidal device that will be key to the future of the manufacturing industry in Scotland, and the potential to create hundreds of jobs."
ScottishPower Renewables (SPR), which owns a share of Hammerfest, welcomed the news. Managing director Keith Anderson said: “We hope that the announcement today is just the beginning of what could be a major stream of new opportunities for the renewables and manufacturing industries in Scotland.”
He said SPR’s initial ten strong “tidal array” in the Sound of Islay will be the first of its kind in the world.
This will be followed by the installation of up to 95 tidal turbines in the Pentland Firth, the stretch of sea separating the northernmost coast of Scotland from the Orkneys.
SPR also announced it is entering its Ness of Duncansby tidal farm in the Pentland Firth into the £10 million Saltire Prize for marine energy innovation.
The £10 million government-backed prize will be awarded to the team that can produce viable marine technology.
Scottish Renewables chief executive Niall Stuart said: "The wave and tidal sector could support more than 5,000 jobs by 2020 and contracts such as this demonstrate the drive to meet the potential, resulting in environmental and economic benefits for Scotland."