The Selkie project, a €5.2 million EU-backed cross-border project focused on boosting the marine energy industry in Wales and Ireland, has been concluded following four years of operation.
Selkie is a consortium of University College Cork (UCC) and Swansea University (SU) and GDG, DP Energy Ireland, Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum CiC (PCF) and Menter Môn Cyf.
The project was focused on testing and validating technology tools on two pilot demonstration technologies, one wave and one tidal.
In the four years of operation, the project saw the development of a suite of open-source decision support tools, the production of a comprehensive economic report, and the establishment of a business network.
The seven open-source decision support tools are said to address common challenges faced by marine energy technology developers in early project stages and provide decision support information and recommendations on optimal site selection, foundation and mooring design, array layout, and data collection.
According to project partners, by sharing these tools freely, the Selkie project has facilitated cost-effective and efficient development in the marine renewable energy sector.
The project also launched a report on sustainability and commercialization within the offshore renewable energy sector, which gathered input from 214 firms, highlighting strengths such as high levels of research and development activity, strong university-industry relations, a highly educated workforce and involvement in more than one energy sector.
It also identified challenges, including limited commercial success, lack of financing and investment, and limited government support providing insights for future improvements and progression.
Furthermore, Selkie established a network of 100 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ireland and Wales, which, through networking events, training workshops, and webinars, fostered knowledge exchange and collaboration in the marine energy sector.
The closing event for the Selkie project was held on 28 April at Swansea University’s Engineering Faculty.
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