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A new £9.5 million marine energy test facility has been inaugurated at the University of Edinburgh.
The FloWave Ocean Energy Research facility has the capability to recreate scale version equivalents of waves reaching 28 metres in height and currents of up to 14 knots which are typical off coastlines around the UK and Europe.
The centrepiece is a circular pool, 2m deep by 25m across, which allows developers to test devices in a range of sea conditions, on demand.
The FloWave facility was funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
Professor Philip Nelson, chief executive at EPSRC, said: “EPSRC’s investment in the FloWave facility will help keep the UK at the forefront of marine energy technology research and development.
“Research here can accelerate the deployment of these technologies which, in turn, will help us meet our low-carbon targets create jobs and boost growth.”
Renewable UK’s wave and tidal development manager, Dee Nunn, added: “The opening of Flowave adds a string to the bow of the UK’s suite of test facilities for marine energy and will contribute to maintaining the world-leading position of the UK in this sector.
“The facility will help improve reliability and reduce costs and the results could provide additional confidence to investors as we move towards the first commercial arrays.”
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