Climate Change Minister Greg Barker will officially open the Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters Marine Energy Park in Scotland, today (30 July).

The Scottish Park aims to help UK development of marine power and will include the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) on Orkney, which currently tests tidal and wave energy capture devices. So far, EMEC has attracted projects from major energy providers including E.ON, ScottishPower Renewables, Kawasaki, Wello Oy, Aquamarine Power and Vattenfall.

Developers have been awarded licences by the Crown Court Estate to build up to 1.6GW of marine energy projects in the area, making it the largest wave and tidal development zone in the world, and the second such project to be opened in the UK, after the South West Marine Energy Park was opened in January.

Commenting on the project, the Minister said: “It’s great to see Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters confirm their place on the marine power map with the launch of the second of the Coalition Government’s UK Marine Energy Parks.

“This area is already a vital part of the marine industry, thanks to its high tidal stream and wave resource. This stretch of water is also home to the European Marine Energy Centre, currently unrivalled anywhere else in the world. This park will help bring together local knowledge and expertise to spur on further development in this exciting industry. Marine power is a growing green clean source of power which has the potential to sustain thousands of jobs in a sector worth a possible £15 billion to the economy by 2050.

“The UK is already a world leader in wave and tidal power and we need to really capitalise on this to ensure energy from marine reaches its full potential in our future energy mix”, added Barker.

The Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters Marine Energy Park is the most recent boost to renewable energy in Scotland, after plans for a £1.4 billion wind farm off the coast Fife were announced earlier this month.

Renewable energy developer, Mainstream Renewable Power, announced the plans to build the £1.4 billion wind farm off the cost of Scotland on Sunday (29 July).

If approved, the Neart na Gaoithe (Gaelic for Strength of the Wind) wind farm, that has been in development for the past three years, could create hundreds of new jobs and produce 450MW of energy – enough to power 325,000 homes and make up 3.7 per cent of Scotland’s total electricity demand.

Planning application for the farm is in consultation until 10 September and, if finalised, would see between 64 and 125 wind turbines built in a 105 sq km site just 15km off the coast of Fife. The farm is expected to be up and running by 2016 and could be in operation for 25 years.

Chief Executive of Mainstream Renewable Power’s Offshore Business, Andy Kinsella announced the plans, saying: “This is a major milestone in the delivery of this offshore wind farm. With over 7,500MW of offshore wind farms in development in the UK and Germany, this demonstrates Mainstream’s ability in selecting the best sites, developing to a high standard and delivering to challenging milestones.

“This project is of strategic importance to Scotland; not only will it supply a significant percentage of the country’s electricity demand it will also help to deliver Scotland’s and the UK’s renewable energy targets in advance of 2020”, added Kinsella.

Michael Timar, renewables and utilities partner at Pricewaterhouse Coopers in Scotland welcomed the projects, saying: "Scotland has nailed its colours to the mast with respect to renewable sector and energy efficiency, both in terms of Scottish Government policy and ongoing lobbying to bring the Green Investment Bank to Edinburgh, and the benefits are trickling through. The launch of Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters Marine Energy Park is another welcome step towards reaching our renewable targets.

"As the fuel mix shifts away from fossil fuels, there is a significant opportunity for economic growth through renewables development, even more so if we can succeed in capturing the intellectual property for tidal and wave technologies on home soil…The increase last week in marine and wave ROC bands shows that the UK Government is now listening to the industry and is giving this technology a fighting chance.”

Further details of the Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters Marine Energy Parks can be found on the Department of Climate Change website while more information on the Neart na Gaoithe wind farm can be found on the Mainstream Renewable Power website.