UK Energy Secretary Travels to Orkney
Edward Davey, the UK's Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, travelled to Orkney in October 2012. During his two-day trip, the Lib-Dem Minister saw Scotrenewables Tidal Power Ltd’s SR250 floating tidal turbine, prior to meeting with representatives from the European Marine Energy Centre and Orkney Islands Council.
The Minister visited the Lyness marine renewables port to view the wave energy converters based there, and witness the investment that has gone into the ports infrastructure in order to support the marine renewables sector in Orkney. Accompanied by Aquamarine Power, and Pelamis Wave Power, he also visited the EMEC wave test site at Billia Croo outside Stromness to see the ScottishPower Renewables Pelamis P2 in action.
Steven Heddle, Convener Orkney Islands Council, said he was looking forward to showing the Minister the investment the council has made in ports and infrastructure and welcomed the opportunity to discuss with him the current grid capacity constraints, the opportunities arising from marine renewables within the newly established Marine Energy Park as well as the urgent need to seek a solution to island transmission charges.
