Marine Energy Wales (www.marineenergywales.co.uk) has officially opened phase one of its Marine Energy Test Area (META) project in Pembrokeshire.

The announcement was made during a launch event held at Pembroke Port at the end of September and marks a significant step in the development of the project.

With eight ‘pre-consented sites’ located in and around the Milford Haven Waterway, META aims to help developers deploy, de-risk and develop their marine energy technologies.

The £1.9 million project is being supported by the European Regional Development Fund through Welsh Government, alongside the Coastal Communities Fund.

Phase one consists of five sites directly adjacent to Pembroke Port infrastructure and offers unparalleled easy access for testing marine energy equipment in low-risk areas.

This early stage testing will provide a vital springboard for advancing devices to commercial operation.

META operations and development manager Joseph Kidd said: “This announcement comes as a culmination of two years of hard work and we are delighted to officially say that we are open for business.

"The purpose of META is to reduce the time, cost and risks faced by marine energy developers to accelerate development in the sector, and this growth has never been more critical.


"Marine energy will play a significant role in reaching our 2050 net-zero emission targets.”

Jeremy Miles, a member of the Welsh government and counsel general minister — as well as Brexit minister — said: “Generating sustainable marine energy is an essential step towards creating a low-carbon economy.

The Welsh coast offers unique natural wave, tide and floating wind energy sources, which will be maximised by the Marine Energy Test Area.

"META will be a focused, dedicated facility for effective research in this under-developed but vital industry, developing creative solutions to tackle global energy efficiency challenges.”

As well as offering sites for the testing of marine energy equipment, META will also support research, innovation and monitoring methodology projects, working closely with Welsh universities and the ORE Catapult-led Marine Energy Engineering Centre of Excellence.