EU-backed Cornwall development programme Marine-i will be showcasing the UK county’s renewables capabilities and innovation potential at the Ocean Energy Europe conference later this month.
Marine-i, which also covers the Isles of Scilly, will send team members as part of a delegation from Marine Hub Cornwall to the event in Nantes, France on 26–27 October.
Marine Hub operations director at Cornwall Development Company Matt Hodson said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to promote Cornwall’s unique capabilities with regard to marine renewable energy and to demonstrate how they complement the offer of other regions such as Wales, Scotland and Ireland.
“The conference allows us to get our message across to the key opinion leaders and decision makers in this exciting global industry so we can boost the marine technology sector in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.”
Marine-i is collaboration between the University of Exeter, Plymouth University, the Cornwall College Group, Cornwall Marine Network, Cornwall Development Company and the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult.
Hodson will give presentation at the conference on the current market conditions for ocean energy and will be accompanied by Simon Cheeseman of the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult and Jo Byrne from the University of Plymouth.
Cheeseman, sector lead wave and tidal energy at ORE Catapult, has highlighted the appetite for the development of marine robotics to monitor and maintain offshore installations.
In a blog on the Marine-i website, he said increased distances offshore and greater depths at which offshore renewables projects are being developed is increasing the costs and risks of using technicians.
He said: “As a result, marine robotics will play a key role in helping offshore renewables to become more cost competitive.”
Cheeseman added that the benefits will apply across a range of marine sectors.
Image: Falmouth Bay (WaveHub)
