A MULTIMILLION-pound project that will produce the largest volume of cross-border research in tidal energy to date could be put at risk by a hard Brexit. The EU plans to spend almost 10 million euros on researching renewable energy in the UK and Ireland, with a focus on ocean energy sites off the west coast of Scotland, the use of tidal power in Northern Ireland, and the potential for wave and tidal power generation in Donegal in the Republic of Ireland. A virtual centre of competence at Queen’s University Belfast will also host cross-border studies into bio- and marine-based power, said the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), which is awarding the cash. A Scottish Government welcomed the investment, saying it was “further evidence of the benefits of our current links with Europe”. However, they added: “Projects like this make obvious the threat that Brexit presents to Scotland’s economy, jobs and renewable ambitions. An extreme Brexit would be especially harmful given the impact on access to European research grants.
The National 24th July 2017 read more »