Counsel General and Brexit Minister Jeremy Miles has welcomed an EU investment of 4.2 million euros in a cross-border project to boost the marine-energy industry in Wales and Ireland.

Funded by the EU’s Ireland-Wales co-operation programme, the Selkie project will bring together leading researchers and businesses from both nations to create technologies to help improve the performance of ocean energy devices being developed by Irish and Welsh businesses.

University College Cork (pictured) will lead the project (www.ucc.ie/en), in partnership with Swansea University, Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum, Anglesey social enterprise Menter Môn, DP Energy Ireland and Dublin-based Gavin and Doherty Geosolutions.

The tools created will be trialled on wave and tidal devices to determine their levels of reliability and commercial potential.

The project will also establish a cross-border network of ocean energy developers and supply chain businesses, while supporting R&D programmes involving academics and industry from both countries.

It is estimated that 150 Irish and Welsh businesses will benefit from the project over the next three years.

Gordon Dalton, senior researcher at the Centre for Marine and Renewable Energy Ireland, said: “University College Cork hosts the world-class MaREI research centre, which has over 30 years’ experience in the field of marine and renewable energy.

"We’re delighted to be co-ordinating the Selkie project, using our facilities and skills to lead the physical testing of prototype devices.

"There are no test tanks of this type in Wales, so this development in the Irish Sea will be a valuable resource.”