UK Government Supports EMEC with £3 Million Funding
The UK Government has announced a new support package totaling £4.6 million for the UK’s islands, with £3 million earmarked for the Orkney-based European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) over two years.
This funding injection aims to bolster EMEC’s growth plans, reinforcing its role in advancing the UK’s net zero ambitions while fostering innovation, investment in research and development, and promoting green growth in island communities.
Among the expansion plans are initiatives to enhance test facilities, particularly to accommodate tidal energy arrays, and to diversify operations by integrating green hydrogen, storage, offshore wind, and islanded decarbonisation projects.
Michael Gove, Levelling Up Secretary, unveiled the funding commitment at the fourth UK Islands Forum in Anglesey, where representatives from various island local authorities convened. EMEC’s facilities were highlighted during the inaugural Islands Forum held in Orkney in 2022.
Neil Kermode, Managing Director of EMEC, emphasized the center’s pivotal role in advancing the marine energy sector over the past two decades. He underscored EMEC’s contribution to fostering innovation, accelerating cost reduction, and bolstering the domestic supply chain and manufacturing capabilities, thus positioning the UK for scaling up in renewable energy.
Established in 2003 as a not-for-profit test facility, EMEC was born out of a recommendation by the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee to catalyze the wave and tidal energy sector in the UK.
An economic impact assessment conducted by BiGGAR Economics spanning 20 years values EMEC’s contribution to the UK economy at £370 million, with a significant portion accrued in Scotland and a substantial share benefiting the Orkney Islands, where the center is headquartered.
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