2nd Annual Steering Group Meeting - Dec. 2009
The 2nd annual MREDS and SRDG Steering Group meeting was held in Inverness on 1 December 2009. A presentation was made by Prof Jonathan Side, Dr Rob Harris, Dr Sandy Kerr & Dr Gareth Davies on each workpackage followed by an open discussion. Over 24 different research strands are established within the 6 workpackages below.MREDS workpackages:-
- Export constraints, externalities & opportunities
- Petroleum & Renewables
- Mitigation, Minimisation & Management of Risk
- Hydrodynamics, Moorings & Foundations
- Environmental and Ecological Impacts
- Socio-Economic Values & Responses
Several new research opportunities have being identified which will be implemented during the coming year. The 3rd annual Steering Group meeting will be held in late 2010. Dates to be confirmed summer/autumn 2010. For more information, please contact info@mreds.co.uk
Stakeholder workshop – “Environmental Research Priorities for the Pentland Firth” - Dec 2009
The 1st SRDG Annual Stakeholder workshop “Wave and Tidal Energy in the Pentland Firth Area - how much environmental monitoring is enough?” took place in Inverness on Tuesday 1 December 2009 with over 50 delegates attending from a cross-section of organisations including SNH, RSPB, Highlands & Islands Enterprise, OpenHydro, Aquamarine Power and The Crown Estate.
The purpose of this one day workshop was to explore the environmental monitoring requirements for wave and tidal energy development in the Pentland Firth area. Realising the tidal and wave energy potential of the Pentland Firth area is a priority if Scotland is to meet its carbon reduction commitments, while it also offers important potential for economic development. However the physical environment and the ecology of these areas are still not well understood. In addition the environmental effects of marine energy devices are largely unclear. Building a better picture of baseline environmental conditions in the Pentland Firth area is now recognised as a priority for the development of a sustainable marine energy industry.
The aim of the seminar was to bring together commercial developers, regulators and other stakeholders who have a direct interest in the Pentland Firth and consider:
- What environmental data should be collected and why?
- Who should undertake environmental monitoring?
- How should environmental data be collated and disseminated?
The seminar was targeted at marine energy stakeholders with a direct interest in the Pentland Firth. In particular we invited key developers, government agencies, local authorities and relevant NGOs. This was a unique opportunity for developers and stakeholders to identify key data requirements.
There was a good mix of stakeholders which provided the opportunity for a varied and somewhat thought provoking discussion. A report is currently being compiled to capture all the views and discussion from the workshop, which will be available shortly to those who attended or any other interested stakeholders.
This workshop was part funded by the Scottish Funding Council through an SRDG (Strategic Research Development Grant) award to Heriot-Watt University and the Environmental Research Institute at UHI. The award is for investigations into the environmental impacts of marine renewable energy development in Scotland.
If you would like to know more or wish to obtain a copy of the report, please contact us.
Click below for the workshop presentations:-
A view from Industry: Sue Barr, Open Hydro
A view from a Regulator: Karen Hall/Andy Douse, Scottish Natural Heritage
A view from a NGO: Dr Rowena Langston, RSPB
1st Annual Steering Group Meeting - Dec. 2008
The first annual MREDS and SRDG Steering Group meetings were held at ICIT on Friday 5 December, 2008.
The MREDS meeting, chaired by Lord Wallace of Tankerness, was attended by funding partners, industrial sponsors, workpackage leaders and researchers. Workpackage leaders gave an update on progress. Several new research opportunities were discussed including the integration of different renewable sources with medium term energy storage. Discussion on the way forward for the MREDS research programme identified Joint Industry Projects (JIPs) as an alternative to public research funding.
The SRDG Steering Group, which focuses on the environmental aspects of the MREDS research, met in the afternoon. The meeting was attended by researchers and other stakeholders, including SNH, RSPB and SEPA. The Steering Group’s task is to identify priorities for research. Again, each workgroup leader gave a presentation on progress, followed by an open discussion.
Lunchtime Science Seminars at ICIT
A series of lunchtime seminars are being run at ICIT. These informal seminars are science-based, but otherwise without an overall theme. They are an opportunity for local scientists to tell us about there current or previous research work, give dry-runs for conference papers or simply to present ideas for constructive feedback.
Seminars last approximately 30-40 mins, plus questions, and take place 13:00 to 14:00 in the ICIT Lecture Room in the Old Academy, Stromness. There will be an accent on informality, so please feel free to bring along your lunch or cup of tea.
If you are interested in attending or contributing a talk, please contact Dr. Mike Bell.