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EMEC wins contract for Franco-Scottish renewables project

Published by , Editorial Assistant
Energy Global,


Following a competitive tender, The Scottish Government has awarded the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) a contract to explore opportunities for floating offshore wind and hydrogen supply chains in Scotland and France.

EMEC will partner with French engineering firm, INNOSEA, and London-based Renewables Consulting Group (RCG), to carry out research to understand the technical status of floating wind and hydrogen in Scotland and France, and identify ways that collaboration can be encouraged to address challenges of mutual interest.

Floating wind and hydrogen technologies are central to energy decarbonisation strategies in both countries. Internationally, collaborative research and development activity can identify new engineering solutions to increase the competitiveness of these technologies.

Towards this aim, the project consortium will evaluate the technical status of the floating wind and hydrogen production components and systems under development, accounting for the impacts of the policy context and innovation programme landscape in the two nations.

The consortium is also tasked with engaging directly with floating wind and hydrogen supply chain companies to seek feedback on existing collaboration successes, as well as identify opportunities to facilitate further joined up thinking and cross-border activity.

In spring 2021, the consortium will hold four virtual reflective workshops with French and Scottish industry stakeholders, to understand their experiences of international collaboration as well as gather feedback on how future Franco-Scottish collaborative activities can be best supported.

The consortium is especially keen to hear from OEMs, installers, project developers, project designers, trade associations and regional development agencies.

The findings of this project will be published in a final report in summer 2021 ahead of COP26, which is set to take place in Glasgow, Scotland, in November 2021.

Paul Wheelhouse, Scotland’s Energy Minister, said: "Scotland’s Energy Strategy recognises the importance of working with international partners to better understand our transition to a net zero economy and energy system. In the run-up to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change conference (COP26) in Glasgow later in 2021, we have an opportunity to increase public awareness around the climate emergency we all face.

This project, which sees collaboration between Scotland and our friends in France, is in line with our international energy engagement priorities for both hydrogen and offshore wind and will help to support our efforts to develop new renewable energy solutions. I very much look forward to seeing its outcomes and to utilising its findings to inform further evolution of our energy policy as we ramp up our ambition and seek to harness exciting new opportunities as we expand offshore wind in Scotland."

Within the project consortium, EMEC bring marine energy and hydrogen expertise and are well connected in the relevant Scottish supply chains. INNOSEA bring a strong French perspective to this research project and have worked with EMEC previously to support marine energy developers in Scotland, France and further afield to identify new opportunities, especially in hydrogen. RCG are leaders in floating wind and will lead in this project on the stakeholder engagement aspects, working to collate feedback from industry partners.

 

 

For more news and technical articles from the global renewable industry read our latest issue of Energy Global magazine.

Energy Global’s Winter 2020 issue

The Winter issue of Energy Global provides a range of technical articles covering technological advancements and future outlooks in the renewables sector, from companies including CorPower Ocean, Rystad Energy, Black & Veatch, Voltalia, FUERGY, and more.

Read the article online at: https://www.energyglobal.com/other-renewables/11022021/emec-wins-contract-for-franco-scottish-renewables-project/

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