Marine Energy Test Area (META), Wales’ national marine test center, has upgraded its marine license and will now be able to accommodate more tidal turbines and larger mooring spreads.
As the project moves into a new tranche of funding from Swansea Bay City Deal, part of the Pembroke Dock Marine Project , one of the key objectives is broadening testing capabilities for the open water sites to meet the needs of the evolving industry and wider blue economy.
Working with a local team from environmental consultancy Marine Space to secure the license, META clients will now be able to test component parts at greater speeds and tidal device configurations with three turbine rotors – a design pathway many developers are following, according to the center.
Improvements to the facility have also been granted above the water to allow larger surface infrastructure to support device testing, META informed.
Saul Young , operations manager at META, said: “We have expanded the consented parameters for the META scale tidal stream and wave energy sites to facilitate the needs of technology developers who would like to test at META.
“It is our aim to keep developing the test site in line with industry requirements and continue to build a hub for marine energy research and innovation in Wales.”