£50m UK funding will help catapult offshore power into future
UK Government funding is set to help transform research into the renewables sector in Scotland and secure affordable and clean energy for future generations
UK Government funding is set to help transform research into the renewables sector in Scotland and secure affordable and clean energy for future generations.
The Secretary of State for Scotland Michael Moore told a National Microelectronics Institute (NMI) conference in Glasgow that successful partnering between Scotland’s renewable energy and power electronic companies and the UK Government is leading to further growth and innovation in the renewable energy sector.
The Minister was speaking at the University of Strathclyde where £50 million of UK Government funding has been secured towards the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult. This is in addition to its share of the £140 million funding towards the High Value Manufacturing Catapult.
The Minister said:
“We cannot overstate the importance of the energy revolution - secure, affordable & clean energy is vital to our future and the Government is committed to meeting those goals.
“Both of these facilities are superb examples of Scotland’s strengths both in research and development and in the field of renewable energy.
“We must work together across the private sector, academic institutions and in a cooperative partnership between the UK and the Scottish Governments to release the potential of Scotland’s renewable energy resources.
“Between April last year and March this year, we have seen announcements totalling £1.7 billion of investment in renewable energy in Scotland, supporting more than 4,400 jobs.
“By continuing to work together as a strong, united country we are best placed to meet the economic and energy challenges we face”.
The Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult will enable UK business to research, test and measure the application of new technologies and materials, building on the strong track record of innovation in offshore renewable energy undertaken in the UK over many years. It will also help the UK achieve its target of generating 15% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020.
It will establish the strong international links required to facilitate the commercialisation of new technologies and will also forge long-term relationships with the European Commission through active involvement in both its current and future framework programmes.