I have great respect for the groundbreaking work being done at the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney, which will play an important role in building the UK’s energy future. Co-operation with Magallanes Renovables and Microsoft in recent months alone demonstrate how the EMEC is at the forefront of Scottish technology.
EMEC has in recent years received funding from a wide range of sources, including the UK Government, the Scottish Government, and Orkney Council. I know that UK Government funding will continue indirectly through many of these other institutions, which are themselves partly funded by the UK Government. I am also pleased that EMEC became financially self-sufficient in 2011, and believe that this is testament to its profitability, and to the wider economic viability of the marine energy sector.
Promoting the clean energy sources of the future is a key part of the UK Government’s industrial strategy, and I am pleased that this commitment has been realised in many of the growth deals that the UK Government has pioneered here in Scotland. I welcome the UK Government’s commitment to agree a growth deal for every part of Scotland, including Orkney, and I would call on the Scottish Government to focus its efforts on these growth deals, which are a great example of constructive co-operation between all levels of government here in Scotland.