North-east firms are among a group of UK energy companies who yesterday agreed a deal to develop and provide renewable energy technologies, services and research in China.
Aleron Group, a Granite City-based remotely operated vehicle (ROV) firm for the oil and gas industry, and Aberdeen-headquartered Miros Scotland, a marine sector environmental monitoring company, joined a host of other Scottish and UK firms in the contract.
Zoex Wave Power, a Grampian wave energy technology developer, and Edinburgh’s Logan Energy and REOptimize Systems also signed the agreement at a virtual ceremony hosted in Yantai City, Shandong Province.
It will see a total of eight UK firms collaborate with the £2 million Tus Wind-ORE Catapult Research Centre (TORC) to identify in partners in China.
Stephen Wyatt, ORE Catapult director of research and disruptive innovation, said: “We are delighted that these companies have partnered with our research and innovation centre in Yantai to take their world-leading technology to the Chinese offshore wind market, which is forecast to be the biggest in the world by 2030.
“Through TORC, our unique partnership between ORE Catapult and Tus Wind, we can provide the necessary support to ensure these companies succeed in China.”
A new academic research partnership has also been formed in an agreement between TORC and Harbin Engineering University in China and Exeter University to further the growth of marine renewables.
Yantai, senior vice president of Tus Wind and chairman of TORC, Charlie Du, added:“The ocean energy industry in China is growing at 20% per year and will be the largest such market in the world over the next 20 years.
“Supporting, nurturing and developing the world’s leading marine science expertise and technology from both the UK and China will play an instrumental role in driving the world’s economic recovery from the Coronavirus.”