Minesto welcomes Seacams funding. Announces collaboration

Minesto has hailed the award of funding for the Seacams 2 project as good news for the marine energy industry, announcing the potential collaboration in the project.

Welsh government has yesterday, September 29, granted £12 million for Bangor University’s Seacams 2 project to provide specialist research and development programmes for marine energy businesses.

As a company with the project set for delivery in Wales, the Swedish tidal energy developer has welcomed the news, revealing the start of possible collaboration setups within Seacams 2, Minesto said in an email to Tidal Energy Today.

Martin Edlund, CEO of Minesto, said: “Good news for the industry, especially in Wales, is good news for Minesto. Projects such as SEACAMS 2 not only grow further marine energy specialist competence, but it also has direct positive effects on the development of the tidal industry. There are several specific areas of high interest for Minesto within this WEFO-funded project.”

Areas of high interest for Minesto include research within seabed mapping and tidal sites characteristics, environmental studies, including the possible research areas within mammal behaviour, noise emission and marine biofouling.

Such studies could help both Minesto and other developers in Northern Wales to better understand seabed conditions and the tidal energy development potential, Minesto said.

To remind, Minesto plans to develop a 10MW tidal array off Anglesey, with the first step being the installation of 500kW power plant planned for 2017.