The European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) has launched the €4 million FOREST project, funded by the European Commission under the Horizon Europe programme, to accelerate the development of ocean energy technologies, the centre said on Tuesday.
The three-year initiative brings together eight partners from the United Kingdom, Portugal, Spain and Sweden to design and test subsea components and digital systems aimed at improving the durability, reliability and efficiency of ocean energy arrays.
EMEC managing director Matthew Finn said the project “marks a major step forward for ocean energy” and aims to “advance the reliability and efficiency of the ancillary systems crucial for ocean energy array deployments and help drive down costs.”
FOREST will focus on three main innovations: 33kV dynamic cables developed by Sweden’s SubConnected, a subsea quick-connector system designed by UK-based Apollo, and an optical measurement platform incorporating artificial intelligence and machine learning, created by Spain’s CENER and Intelligent Plant in the UK.
Testing will take place at EMEC’s wave and tidal test sites in Orkney, Scotland, with Bureau Veritas overseeing certification compliance.
Scotland’s Energy Secretary Gillian Martin said the initiative would “help to catalyse the advancement of the renewable marine energy sector,” adding that it reinforces Scotland’s position as a leader in marine innovation.
Project partners include EMEC, Indeximate, Intelligent Plant, Bureau Veritas and Apollo from the UK, WavEC Offshore Renewables from Portugal, CENER from Spain, and SubConnected from Sweden.
