EMEC: European Marine Energy Centre

About EMEC: European Marine Energy Centre

Established in 2003, EMEC is the world’s leading centre for demonstrating wave and tidal energy converters in the sea. As a plug-and-play facility EMEC helps reduce the time, cost and risk of testing innovative sustainable technologies. EMEC is the world’s only recognised ISO/IEC 17025 test laboratory for ocean energy and provides pre-consented grid-connected test sites in harsh wave and tidal regimes as well as scale test sites in gentler conditions for testing smaller scale technologies, subsystems and components. EMEC’s facilities help to prove what is achievable in some of the harshest marine environments with close access to sheltered waters and harbours. Attracting developers from around the globe, EMEC has hosted more ocean energy devices than at any other site. Building on our experience in developing the ocean energy sector, EMEC is exploring options for developing a national deepwater and floating wind test site to the west of Orkney and is driving innovation in the integration of renewables with complementary energy vectors and alternative offtake industries. Our goal is to accelerate the commercialisation of offshore energy and demonstrate new solutions for decarbonising power, heat and transport. Our onshore and offshore facilities provide a test platform for first-of-a-kind and pilot scale demonstrations such as green hydrogen, battery storage, e-fuels, refuelling technologies and data centres. Based in Orkney, we operate within an inspiring energy ecosystem with a rich history of innovation. This unique island environment has encouraged us to explore new opportunities to cut emissions and enhance resilience in the communities closest to our operations. A cornerstone of this work is the Islands Centre for Net Zero (ICNZ), a flagship initiative led by EMEC, with Orkney, Shetland and the Outer Hebrides collaborating to become lighthouse communities in the energy transition.