The FORESEA program has approved six offshore renewable energy technology projects for support in its third call for applications.
FORESEA’s user selection board awarded a ‘Recommendation for Support’ to demonstration projects that will be realized at SEM-REV, Dutch Marine Energy Centre (DMEC), and the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC).
The technology developers selected for support include Blackfish, Bombora Wave Power, IDEOL, Interdrones, Kornwerderzand, and Scotrenewables Tidal Power.
Announcing the results of the call at the Ocean Energy Europe conference, Paul Wheelhouse , Scottish Minister for Business, Innovation and Energy, said:
“I warmly welcome the news that Scotland’s flagship EMEC will be used to provide world class testing facilities for three of the six projects from the FORESEA program.
“It is further evidence of the recognized excellence of EMEC as a global player in the research and development and testing of ocean energy devices, and of Scotland’s status as a major player in the European renewable energy sector.
“Moreover it also illustrates very clearly the continued importance of EU funding in helping to bring low carbon technologies to market and to fostering research collaboration – something we are determined to continue, despite the outcome of the EU referendum in which 62% of Scots voted to stay in the EU.”
FORESEA is a €11 million EU initiative which helps bring offshore renewable energy technologies to market by offering support to access a world-leading network of European test centers.
Rémi Gruet , CEO of Ocean Energy Europe, said: “Europe is the global center for ocean energy RD&I and today’s FORESEA awards are new evidence of that. Demand for testing remains high, as concepts and machines require validation before getting to market. Significantly, non-EU technologies are coming to Europe to test, recognizing the experience and know-how from our test centers.”
To remind, FORESEA launched its fourth call for proposals on October 11, 2017 to help developers of offshore technologies transition into the renewable energy space by developing new applications for their products.