£4m for renewable energy project in the South West and Brittany
Last updated: 09/05/2011
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Leading South West institutions have
worked with partners in Brittany to secure funds for a pioneering
project worth £4M (€4.6m) to develop marine renewable energy in
peripheral and island communities.
Cornwall Council is leading the international
MERiFIC project, working with Westcountry universities and leading
research and marine organisations both in Cornwall and
Brittany.
The project will explore the potential for
marine energy across the regions of Cornwall and Finistère in
Brittany and the island communities of the Isles of Scilly and the
Parc Marin d’Iroise with a view to identifying opportunities in the
regions for new industry and jobs.
The maritime regions of Cornwall and Finistère
are in a privileged position to benefit from the expected growth in
marine renewable energy. Their peninsula nature and exposure to the
Atlantic Ocean provides significant wave, wind and tidal
resources.
Carolyn Rule, Cornwall Council cabinet member
for the Economy and Regeneration, said: “Cornwall is at the
forefront of the development of renewable energy and this
investment will prove to be invaluable in exploring the potential
of renewable energy for communities like Cornwall and the Isles of
Scilly.
“There are tremendous opportunities in the
sphere of renewable energy development and we are proud to be
leading the way in this area.”
The project will investigate technical issues
to underpin economic development and promote the business and
commercial opportunities of renewable marine energy and the
involvement of key groups such as fishing companies and energy
development companies.
It is currently estimated that by 2050, up to
50% of Europe’s electricity supply could be provided by renewable
ocean energy generated off the Atlantic coast.
Peter Child, Managing Director of A&P
Group at Falmouth Docks, one of Cornwall’s largest private sector
employers said: “We are thrilled that the MERiFIC partnership has
been successful in this bid for European Funding. We work at the
forefront of this new innovative marine renewables sector and are
fully aware of the superb array of marine energy resources that
Cornwall and Brittany have to offer and we can clearly see the
business opportunities.
“With the Wave Hub infrastructure now in place
we hope that this project will help position the far south west of
the UK as a leading region to reap the long term economic benefits
of generating electricity from the seas off our coast.”
Peripheral and island communities such as
Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly are frequently situated at the end
of national energy distribution networks and therefore face the
greatest threats to security of their energy supply. Such
peripheral regions can, however, also boast significant marine and
tidal energy resources.
Julian German, Cornwall Council cabinet member
for the Environment, said: “Cornwall is committed to becoming a
leading region in Europe in the field of renewable energy. This
fantastic investment will play a crucial part in finding out more
about the massive potential for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly as
a renewable energy producer.”
The MERiFIC project has been selected under
the European Cross-border Cooperation Programme INTERREG IV A
France (Channel) – England, which is funded from the European
Regional Development Fund and is a partnership of 10 organisations
- Cornwall Council, University of Exeter, University of Plymouth
and Cornwall Marine Network, Conseil General du Finistère, Le Parc
Naturel Marin d’Iroise, Pole Mer Bretagne, Technopole Brest Iroise,
IFREMER (French Research Institute for Exploration of the Sea) and
Agence Economique de Bretagne.
The project will see funding of £4m spent
across the two regions. Cornwall Council is contributing £60,000
towards the project which will be match-funded.
Story posted 09 May 2011