A pioneering €4m project has been approved to develop marine renewable energy in peripheral and island communities in the Westcountry and Brittany.
Cornwall Council is leading the international MERiFIC project, working with Westcountry universities and leading research organisations both in Cornwall and Brittany.
The project will explore the potential of adopting marine energy across the regions of Cornwall and Finistere in Brittany and the island communities of the Isles of Scilly and the Marin d’Iroise.
The maritime regions of Cornwall and Finistère are in a privileged position to benefit from the expected growth in marine renewable energy. Their peninsula nature and exposure to the Atlantic Ocean provides significant wave, wind and tidal resources.
Carolyn Rule, Cornwall Council cabinet member for the Economy and Regeneration, said: “Cornwall is at the forefront of the development of renewable energy and this investment will prove to be invaluable in exploring the potential of renewable energy for communities like Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
“There are tremendous opportunities in the sphere of renewable energy development and we are proud to be leading the way in this area.”
The project will look at the business and commercial opportunities of renewable marine energy and the involvement of key groups such as fishing companies and energy development companies.
Peter Child, Managing Director of A&P Group at Falmouth Docks, one of Cornwall’s largest private sector employers said: “We are thrilled that Cornwall Council has been successful in this bid for European Funding. We work at the forefront of this new innovative marine renewables’ sector and are fully aware of the superb array of marine energy resources that Cornwall and Brittany have to offer and we can clearly see the business opportunities.
“With the Wave Hub infrastructure now in place we hope that this project will help position the far south west of the UK as a leading region to reap the long term economic benefits of generating electricity from the seas off our coast.”
Peripheral and island communities such as Cornwall and the isles of Scilly are frequently situated at the end of national energy distribution networks and therefore face the greatest threats to security of their energy supply. Such peripheral regions can, however, also boast significant marine and tidal energy resources.
Julian German, Cornwall Council cabinet member for the Environment, said: “Cornwall is committed to becoming a leading region in Europe in the field of renewable energy. This fantastic investment will play a crucial part in finding out more about the massive potential for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly as a renewable energy producer.”
The MERiFIC project is a partnership of 10 organisations – Cornwall Council, University of Exeter, University of Plymouth and Cornwall Marine Network, Conseil General du Finistère, Le Parc Naturel Marin d’Iroise, Pole Mer Bretagne, Technopole Brest Iroise, IFREMER (French Research Institute for Exploration of the Sea), Agence Economique de Bretagne.
The total project value is €4m, part funded by the Interreg IVA Cross Border programme. Cornwall Council is contributing £60,000 towards the project which will be match-funded.
