Dundee is set to become home to a “global authority” on offshore renewables, following the launch of an academic institute to be based in the city.
As The Courier revealed earlier this year, the new Offshore Renewables Institute will aim to commercialise and exploit expertise from seats of learning on Scotland’s east coast in support of the region’s burgeoning energy sector.
The new body was formally unveiled at the All-Energy conference the UK’s largest gathering of sustainable energy professionals in Aberdeen on Wednesday.
It will be provide consultancy, research, policy advice and professional development and, in time, could lead to a string of “high-value” jobs for the city.
Founding director Professor Paul Mitchell, of Aberdeen University, said the institute would help tackle Government targets for offshore development.
“We need to look at the environmental impact of such large developments, the legal issues, safety of course and how we can increase efficiency and reduce costs over the lifetime of a project,” he said.
“We need a variety of experts around these problems, all working together to a common goal.”
Efforts will be concentrated around regulation and law, environment and consenting, design, fabrication and installation and asset management and operations.
In particular, it is hoped research at the new institute will help to bring down the cost of the deployment of offshore wind.
* Energy Minister Fergus Ewing will today announce more targeted support for the development of wave power off Scotland’s coast.
He will tell All-Energy the £18 million Marine Renewables Commercialisation Fund, instituted last year, will now be used to provide a “dedicated support mechanism” to help wave projects get through early-stage development.