Scottish businesses were yesterday awarded contracts worth £4 million by Hammerfest Strøm UK, a company jointly owned by Scottish Power Renewables and Norwegian energy companies.
Fife-based Burntisland Fabrication Limited (BiFab) has the main £2 million contract for the next stage of the development of one of the world's most advanced tidal turbines, Hammerfest Strøm's HS1000 device which will be installed in the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney next year.
Following testing at EMEC, Scottish Power Renewables hopes to deploy 10 HS1000 turbines in the Sound of Islay in 2013.
Scottish Power Renewables has also announced it is entering its Ness of Duncansby tidal farm in the Pentland Firth into the £10 million Saltire Prize for marine energy innovation.
First Minister Alex Salmond was in Oslo for talks aimed at strengthening economic links between Scotland and Norway.
Mr Salmond said:
"I am delighted that Scottish businesses will benefit from the next stage of the development of one of the world's most advanced tidal turbines.
"With unrivalled energy resources off our coast and a range of wave, tidal and offshore wind development already underway, Scotland leads the way in generating power offshore.
"We have an estimated 25 per cent of Europe's offshore wind and tidal resource and 10 percent of its wave potential, a renewable energy resource which is unrivalled in Europe.
"Awarding £4 million of contracts to Scotland is a massive vote of confidence in the talent, expertise and infrastructure we have to support the development of a clean, green renewables future.
"This is another example of how the European Marine Energy Centre, our wave and tidal technical test centre in Orkney, is continuing to pay dividends through further overseas investment in Scotland.
"Scottish Power Renewables continues to lead the way in the development of offshore energy generation. The company's entry to the £10 million Saltire Prize demonstrates that one of the largest innovation prizes of its kind continues to generate global interest in the marine energy potential around our coast."
Keith Anderson, Managing Director of ScottishPower Renewables, said:
"ScottishPower Renewables is committed to leading the development of new renewable energy technologies in the UK, and we already have major projects planned utilising wave and tidal power. Following the deployment of the initial HS1000 machine in Orkney, SPR is planning to install ten of the machines in the Sound of Islay, which will be the first tidal power array of its kind in the world. Following on from this, we are also planning to install up to 95 tidal turbines in the Pentland Firth.
"We are delighted that Hammerfest Strøm has announced that it will be constructing the first HS1000 turbine in Scotland. We know that the company looked internationally to find the right levels of expertise to deliver this contract, so it is a major boost to Scotland's renewable energy industry and to the wider economy to see this new technology going in to construction in Stornoway. With our projects in Islay and the Pentland Firth also being developed, we hope that the announcement today is just the beginning of what could be a major stream of new opportunities for the renewables and manufacturing industries in Scotland."
See also http://www.saltireprize.com
