Following the announcement by Scottish Energy Minister Fergus Ewing that Wave Energy Scotland (WES) will receive a total of £14.3 million over the next thirteen months, Lindsay Leask, Senior Policy Manager, Offshore Wind & Marine at Scottish Renewables, said that this reflects Scottish Government’s continued commitment to the wave energy sector, especially after a recent challenging period.
“This money will enable WES to continue the development of wave energy in Scotland and build upon the global lead we enjoy by funding work on some of the key challenges commonly encountered by technology developers. The industry has recognised for some time that a collaborative approach to solving these problems is vital to ensure wave energy devices can develop to commercial scale, and WES provides a space for that to happen,” Leask said.
She added: “It is also fantastic that WES’ first contract will help ensure that the talent and huge store of knowledge built up through the development of the Pelamis wave energy converter is kept in Scotland and used for the benefit of the wider industry.”