The world's first marine energy test centre has been officially opened in Orkney.

The Deputy First Minister of Scotland, Jim Wallace MSP was in the Orkney town of Stromness today (Tuesday 10th August) to officially open the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC).

EMEC is a groundbreaking project that provides marine energy developers with a fully comprehensive service not available anywhere else in the world.  It is hoped the facility will become a world leader in the development, testing, accreditation and environmental monitoring of devices which will drive forward the marine energy industry.

The facility allows for the full-scale, long-term testing of grid-connected wave energy conversion devices against a continuously measured offshore wave and weather regime.

It is a project which has major implications in the development of marine energy and in setting internationally recognised standards for industry best practice.  EMEC is also strategically important in achieving the UK's renewable energy targets.

With the concept of creating a marine energy test centre initially conceived in 1999, EMEC is now open for business and has already secured its first client - Ocean Power Delivery (OPD), designers of Pelamis, the wave energy converter.  The Deputy First Minster and other invited guests were able to view the Pelamis this afternoon, in the waters off Orkney.

Speaking at the official opening, Jim Wallace MSP said: "Today is a massive landmark for the marine energy sector in Scotland.  I am delighted and honoured to mark the occasion by opening EMEC.

"The ongoing success of this Centre will be pivotal to the growth of the marine energy sector both in Scotland and throughout the world.  A number of developers have already expressed a firm interest in testing their devices here, and many others will be closely monitoring the Centre's progress.

"We have a unique and exciting opportunity for Scotland to grab the lead in developing marine energy.  EMEC is a vital step along the way to ensuring we take full advantage of this opportunity and the benefits it will bring.

"Harnessing the power of the sea will help us to meet our renewables targets, create new jobs and help protect our environment by reducing emissions and tackling climate change."

EMEC itself is centred around two main sites on Orkney.  There is a small, partially underground building at Billia Croo - where Mr Wallace unveiled a plaque earlier today - which houses switchgear and other control equipment along with the grid connection to the UK electricity grid.

From here, cables are run underground and along the seabed to four offshore testing berths which are marked by buoys.  In addition there are two waverider buoys which continuously measure the sea-state.  A meteorological station and CCTV cameras, installed at a disused coastguard lookout station nearby, allow for observation at all times.

EMEC offices and data centre are situated in the Old Academy in Stromness.  Device developers also have offices in the data centre, from where they can access performance data coming from their installations via fibre optic cores in the subsea cables.

EMEC managing director, Andrew Mill commented: "The opening of EMEC as an operational centre is a landmark not only for EMEC, but also for the whole of the marine renewables industry.  It marks the beginning of the process of independent testing and verification of performance data for wave energy conversion devices.  This will enable the development process to move forward to commercialisation.  EMEC is delighted to be leading this work."

EMEC has been established at a cost of approximately £5 million, funded by the Scottish Executive, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), Orkney Enterprise, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Carbon Trust, Scottish Enterprise and Orkney Islands Council (OIC).

The public sector consortium has been the driving force behind the establishment of such a facility on Orkney.  HIE chief executive Sandy Cumming - who spoke on behalf of the funders at the opening, said: "The official opening of EMEC marks an exciting day in the development of the marine energy sector, both on a national and international basis.  Over the past five years, all the project partners have worked extremely hard to make it a reality. 

"Highlands and Islands Enterprise is immensely proud that the European Marine Energy Centre is located in Orkney at a wave site which has been described as 'probably the best location in Europe for testing commercial-scale devices'. 

"We, together with our partners, look forward to working with EMEC and seeing the centre establish itself as a world leader."

Also viewing Pelamis and the EMEC facility today were representatives from all the other funding partners.

OPD is the first company to have a wave energy device on site.  The 750W Pelamis Wave Energy Converter is 120m long by 3.5m diameter - approximately the size of four train carriages - and weighs 750 tonnes.  Speaking at today's opening of EMEC, Dr Richard Yemm, managing director of OPD said: "OPD has been involved with the EMEC concept from inception to inauguration - it is tremendously exciting to be up here at EMEC with our full-scale machine. 

"The test centre is a shining example of what can be achieved through timely and appropriate action from the public sector in response to the needs of industry, and cements Scotland's position at the forefront of this exciting new sector.  Through further targeted public and private measures, testing carried out at the site will form the platform for an early move to commercial scale demonstration of our technology."

With EMEC now the established facility for the testing of wave energy conversion devices, project partners and developers are investigating the extension of the centre to include testing facilities for tidal energy conversion devices also.