UK: Caithness Predicts Offshore Energy Boost

As Marine Scotland starts with meetings throughout Scotland to engage communities in discussions over Holyrood’s plans for offshore renewable energy, Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership’s programme manager Eann Sinclair predicts that Caithness could be set for offshore energy boost, the John O’Groat Journal informs.

Though Caithness is not listed as a venue, Mr. Sinclair says that the opportunity for the area lies in the working developments, which come after the testing phase.

 “The existence of the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Stromness has been a positive benefit for us, with a number of Caithness companies having won business from companies testing wave and tidal devices at EMEC.

“However, the industry is striving to move on from the testing phase into the roll-out of small-scale arrays of wave or tidal devices and it is at this point that we see significant opportunity for the north mainland,” said Mr. Sinclair.

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Offshore WIND staff, September 12, 2012; Image: EMEC