EMEC and Enel Green Power sign Memorandum of Understanding on marine energy
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An agreement which is expected to increase confidence in the marine energy sector has been signed between an Orkney centre and a global renewables business.
The European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), based in Orkney, and Enel Green Power SpA (EGP) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the aim to encourage knowledge sharing in marine energy technology development and performance assessment, and to drive forward collaborations in marine energy demonstration projects.
The two parties shared the goals and scope of their co-operation as well as their experience in marine energy during a workshop at the European Wave and Tidal Energy Conference (EWTEC) in Naples, Italy in September.
A statement announcing the partnership said it would address a gap in independent marine energy testing against international standards, increasing credibility and trust in the sector.
Working in collaboration and sharing their wealth of knowledge and experience in the field, EMEC and EGP say they will provide both public and private investors with increased confidence in the industry and therefore encourage future investment and growth in marine renewable energy.
EMEC supports the testing, demonstration and assessment of wave and tidal energy technologies by providing test sites suitable for early stage sea deployments through to full-scale grid-connected trials. EMEC supports technology development from concept to commercialisation, including consenting compliance, environmental monitoring, technical verification, and independent performance assessment.
Rob Flynn, international development manager at the centre, said: “EMEC is very happy to collaborate with EGP on supporting marine energy development. As an independent test lab, EMEC is at the cutting edge of assessing marine energy technologies. EGP is a global leader in renewables, and with first-rate technology due diligence processes. This project will help us learn from each other and drive the marine energy sector forward.”
EGP is the global renewable business line of the Enel Group, Europe’s largest utility in terms of market capitalisation and a leading global player in the renewable sector. EGP is at the forefront in promoting innovation in green energy, including exploring applications for wave and marine energy technologies.
Fabio Fugazzotto, head of marine innovation at Enel Green Power, said: “This co-operation will allow us to share our expertise and know-how on marine energy with EMEC, leveraging on lessons learned and internationally recognised evaluation standards, with the aim to explore future opportunities in the ocean energy sector.”
