The European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) has been approved as an assessor under the EU’s Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) scheme and will be checking claims about the performance of innovative environmental technologies.
Building on its reputation as a test site, EMEC will issue a Statement of Verification at the end of the ETV process as evidence that the claims made about the innovation are both credible and scientifically sound. This will cover areas much wider than just its present remit of wave and tidal energy.
With proof of performance independently assured by EMEC, the risk of innovation is reduced for technology purchasers. This makes new technologies easier to invest in so they can find a market faster.
“By helping assure purchasers that the innovation claims are real, we believe ETV will get products to market sooner. The sooner they get used, the sooner the inventor and the environment feel the benefit,” said Dave Wakefield , EMEC’s ETV manager.
The EU-ETV Pilot Programme, operating as one of the initiatives under the Eco-Innovation Action Plan of the European Commission, aims to promote eco-innovation, mainly in highly dynamic and innovative SMEs.
Dave Wakefield further commented: “ ETV is a tool for answering questions like: does this technology deliver what it promises? Does it deliver the resource savings it claims? How will it have a tangible environment benefit? In a market where standards may not currently exist, ETV can give products visibility and legitimacy, as well as giving credibility to the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) developing them. And the verification is not just for the UK – one major benefit is that it provides a pan-European verification, as opposed to just being valid in a single country.”
The cost of verification varies depending on the complexity of the technology, but the European Union is offering financial support for the ETV Pilot programme through EMEC, with the aim of limiting the costs of participating SMEs to around €20,000. Additional support towards this cost may also be available via member state grants or built within R&D funding programmes such as Horizon 2020.
EMEC is the world’s only accredited test laboratory for full-scale wave and tidal energy converters. Accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service.
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Press Release; Image: EMEC