Marine Renewable Energy Development in Scotland
Overcoming barriers in marine renewable energy development
The prime objective of the MREDS programme is to seek ways of strengthening the marine renewables sector in Scotland.
MREDS seeks to achieve this prime objective in four ways:
- seeking innovative short, medium and long term solutions to possible constraints to the conventional export infrastructure;
- attempting a broad-scale cross fertilisation between the marine petroleum and marine renewables sectors, including exchanges and sharing of approaches to best practice and innovation.
- identifying and proposing solutions to the management of issues associated with development risk, and in particular investment and insurance risks;
- ensuring that environmental and social issues are
tackled proactively and to the satisfaction of stakeholder interests.
MREDS has already led to a key strategic involvement between Heriot-Watt University and the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) network in terms of developing research capacities; and with the Orkney-based European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in terms of optimising opportunities for further development of research capacity, linked to its unique wave and tidal test facilities.
The significance of this programme for the Scottish Marine Renewables industry is evidenced by the high level of public sector funding provided by Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Orkney Islands Council.
The Background to the MREDS Programme