UK OCEAN ENERGY CENTER ADDS JOBS

Marine energy hydropower test center expanding workforce as demand grows
2 March 2010 (PennWell via HydroWorld)

"A leading marine energy hydropower test center for wave and tidal energy technologies is expanding its workforce to meet the growing demands of companies developing devices that harness energy from the sea.

"EMEC, the Orkney, Scotland-based European Marine Energy Centre, is gearing up for the arrival of more devices capable of generating electricity from waves or tidal currents…EMEC operates the world's first open-sea, grid-connected test facilities for prototype wave and tidal energy technologies…Ireland's OpenHydro is testing its tidal turbines at EMEC, while Scotland's Aquamarine Power is testing its Oyster wave energy converter…"

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"A world first was achieved when Edinburgh-based Pelamis Wave Power generated electricity to the National Grid from its deep water floating device at EMEC’s wave test site…A second test site for tidal devices off the island of Eday has since been opened, with the first developer, Dublin-based OpenHydro, installed and generating electricity to the grid…OpenHydro has [also] now successfully deployed a commercial turbine at the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia…

"With machines already undergoing sea trials at EMEC, five new staff are to be recruited to join the 13-strong team currently running the center…[The five main types of marine and hydrokinetic energy technologies: ocean wave, tidal stream, river hydrokinetic, ocean current, and ocean thermal] could represent a large source of renewable electricity generation capacity by 2025, according to a report by Pike Research…"

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"Oyster, a wave energy converter developed by…Aquamarine Power, is also generating electricity for the UK National Grid while undergoing a test program at EMEC…Atlantis Resources Corp. likewise has selected the waters off Scotland’s Orkney Islands as the proving ground for the world’s biggest tidal turbine…Ocean Power Technologies signed an agreement with EMEC in 2008, enabling the wave energy developer to install a wave project…[and recently] construction began off Oregon's coast on [an Ocean Power Technologies] commercial U.S. wave energy farm…

"Ten of the current EMEC team were recruited from within Orkney. The center is now seeking to fill three research posts, with two more staff needed to join the operations team looking after electrical and testing activities…"