South west England’s marine energy effort gets £1.2 million boost

clipped from www.energyefficiencynews.com Marine energy research in the south west of England has received a £1.2 million boost from the South West Regional Development Agency (RDA) as part of a three-year £7.3 million investment plan. The funds will support a new new wave tank testing facility at the Peninsula Research Institute for Marine Renewable Energy (PRIMaRE) located at the University of Plymouth. The 35 m x 12 m wave tank will allow model devices to be tested in both shallow and deep water conditions and various wave and current directions. It should be completed by early 2012. “This new laboratory will be a first in the UK and will offer the marine renewables industry a state of the art test facility backed by the considerable academic and research expertise of PRIMaRE,” says Jonny Boston of the South West RDA. The £12.6 million PRIMaRE was set up two years ago by the Universities of Exeter and Plymouth with funding from the South West RDA, the European Regional Development Fund and other sources.