Navigating International Waters: lessons for marine energy testing

A recent report published by the International Energy Agency’s Ocean Energy Systems Technology Collaboration Programme (IEA-OES) reflects on  international collaboration between marine energy test centres - which offer specialized testing facilities for tidal and wave energy developers - over the last decade or so.

The International WaTERS (Wave and Tidal Energy Test Sites) network, founded in 2013, has enabled test centres in the UK, Europe, the US, Japan, China, South Korea, Taiwan, Canada, Chile and Mexico to exchange ideas, share learning and address common barriers. The report provides a summary of lessons learned across a wide range of topics, including accredited testing, environmental monitoring, logistics, health and safety, decommissioning, community relations, collaboration and funding, and offers a fascinating glimpse into the key challenges faced by test centres around the world.

For example, the report suggests that for a test centre to remain viable, adaptability is crucial; successful centres are those that have provided their clients with modular infrastructure, diversified service offerings and tiered service packages, which allow developers to move from initial testing to full certification as their technology develops. Ongoing relationships with local communities, businesses and stakeholders are also important, with many test centers providing educational facilities which help to highlight the potential benefits of marine energy technologies, and allay potential concerns.

Some of the successes of the network over the past 10+ years can be attributed to the UK participants, which include the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) based in Orkney. The report notes that EMEC has invested in modular cabling and enhanced grid connections; worked with Marine Scotland to implement a streamlined consenting regime, including environmental impact and navigation risk assessments; developed protocols ensuring that infrastructure ownership and removal obligations are contractually defined; and worked with the local council and residents to build long-term trust.

EMEC's story also highlights how test centres which develop roles beyond marine energy - for example, in hydrogen and floating wind research - can attract additional funding streams which provide enhanced stability during periods of policy change.

The International WaTERS report serves to highlight that the UK remains at the forefront of both tidal stream and wave energy innovation. As we enter the next era of international test centre collaboration, it will be interesting to see how the lessons learned over the past decade will be used to accelerate commercialisation in this new and exciting energy sector.