The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
University wins funds for marine project
Researchers at Robert Gordon University (RGU) in Aberdeen have won £165,760 in funding to support the establishment of a South East Asia Marine Energy Centre (Seamec) in Indonesia.
Alan Owen and Leuserina Garniati from the university’s Centre for Understanding Sustainability in Practice worked with UK and Indonesian academic, business, and non- governmental organisation partners to secure the cash from the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Prosperity Fund.
The aim is for Seamec, which has the support of both industry and academia, to become a multinational platform to “drive policy and capacity building” in the region as part of a longer term marine renewable-energy programme.
Mr Owen said: “The establishment of a marine energy centre in south-east Asia will be a huge boost towards accelerating the development of an internationally connected, sustainable and commercially viable marine-energy industry across the region.
“I would point towards the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney as an example of the kind of model we are trying to create ... but with the emphasis on capacity building, socioeconomic outputs and developing policy and strategy, rather than technical outputs.”
Ms Garniati added: “We also hope that Seamec will play a significant role in opening up knowledge exchange between renewable-energy expertise in the northern and southern hemispheres to identify new materials, methods and fabrication processes appropriate for a very different marine environment.
“Seamec is a necessary platform to ensure equalopportunity in collaborating with business, academia and governments in one of the most economically exciting regions of the world .”
Meanwhile, RGU academics have travelled to China to share their knowledge and expertise at a wind turbine workshop.
Ghazi Droubi, Nadimul Faisal and Yashwant Sinha, all from the university’s engineering school, were invited to take part in the event in Mianyang.
RGU head of engineering Iain Steel said: “Itwas a great opportunity to establish new links with other researchers who work on interdisciplinary areas of wind turbine and addressing future challenges.”