EMEC shortlisted for clean ocean energy funding under EMFF
While the first tidal farms in European waters are being deployed and more and more devices are being tested in water, the idea of obtaining clean energy through the oceans' waves is also gaining ground. However, data needs to be collected, models developed and a thorough understanding of the possible impacts of the new technologies on the marine environment.
To this aim the European Commission has just granted over EUR 1.5 million worth of support to two new international projects, which will help understand the interaction between the future devices and the ecosystems. The results will provide guidance to the countries' national authorities, which will one day be called upon to grant access to maritime space and consent ocean energy farms.
A comprehensive environmental programme around four of the world’s leading Wave Energy Convertors to be deployed at the site of PERISCOPE partner, European Marine Energy Centre. SEA Wave will collect, process, analyse and share all environmental data and information on both positive and negative impacts of wave devices (or the absence thereof). It will develop a risk-based approach to ocean energy licencing with efficient planning and consenting procedures.
This kind of research is one of the critical recommendations of the Ocean Energy Strategic Roadmap: Building Ocean Energy for Europe and will help reduce environmental risks when licensing future commercial operations.
Image © EMEC