EMEC and Aquatera take a visit to Japan
By:
Lewis Holdsworth
12/01/2015
EMEC
Orkney’s marine energy industry has been
the focus of a fact-finding visit by Japanese politicians and business
leaders.
The 10-strong party from the Nagasaki Prefecture, on the island of Kyushu,
toured the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Stromness at the weekend
to learn more about Orkney’s role at the forefront of the global wave
and tidal energy sector.
The visit, hosted by EMEC and the Orkney-based environmental consultancy
firm Aquatera, comes as Japan looks to establish its own marine energy
test centre sites.
“Last year saw Nagasaki designated as a marine energy test site area by
the Japanese Government,” said Ian Johnstone, senior consultant with
Aquatera. “We’ve been working with colleagues in Japan for a number
of years to help progress their plans and this current visit is all about
the operational aspects of running a test site. In addition, our experience
of working with the supply chain companies supporting the wave and tidal
energy developers operating in Orkney enables us to advise and assist the
wider community in Nagasaki as it looks to take advantage of this developing
industry.”
Takaaki Morita, director of Nagasaki Prefectural Government’s marine energy
development office, said EMEC was recognised in Japan as the leading organisation
for wave and tidal testing. Collaboration with the Orkney centre was vital
if plans for a similar facility in Nagasaki were to come to fruition.
“We are an island with a lot of people and there is a strong local demand
to make marine energy successful,” he said. “Nagasaki wants to lead this
movement towards marine renewables and be the frontrunner of a new industry
in Japan.”
Neil Kermode, managing director of EMEC, said Japan had clearly realised
the potential of marine energy, both in terms of harvesting it for its
own use and as a potential new market for the country’s manufacturing
and technology businesses.
“We’ve been very keen to help set up a test centre in Japan and believe
that a college of like-minded centres around the world will actually help
the industry move forward faster than if we don’t know what’s going on,
or are at loggerheads, trying to go in different directions,” said
Mr Kermode. “In addition, we think there’s a big opportunity for our
supply chain to work with Japan and we also fully expect Japanese machines
to be deployed in Scottish waters, harvesting energy around our coasts.”
Whilst the wave energy sector has experienced some setbacks recently, large-scale
tidal energy generation schemes in Scottish waters are now moving closer
to becoming a reality. In Orkney, where more marine energy devices have
been tested than at any other site in the world, the developing wave and
tidal industry now supports around 300 jobs.
According to Mr Kermode, collaboration with other nations seeking to follow
the Orkney model should be seen as a positive step for the emerging wave
and tidal industry, rather than a threat, though he did sound a note of
caution.
“It’s a sign that other places are showing the same faith in marine energy
as we have done in Scotland, but it’s also a wake up call that we haven’t
got the game all to ourselves anymore. We are going to face interest from
elsewhere and it’s really important that we don’t overlook the fact that
if we don’t make a good job of this, somebody else will.”