A renewable energy conference in Stornoway is set to see £350,000 pumped into the local economy, First Minister Alex Salmond has revealed.
The Environmental Interactions of Marine Renewables (EIMR) conference on Lewis which will take place at the end of the month, will see around 220 energy experts from around the world descend on the island.
Supported by the VisitScotland Conference Bid Fund and part of the Homecoming Scotland 2014 programme, the event is intended to show how marine energy technologies can be integrated into coastal areas in a sustainable manner.
Organised by the University of the Highlands and Islands, the two-day conference will take place in the An Lanntair Arts Centre from April 30 to May 1 and will be supplemented on either side by two days of workshops and field trips.
It will showcase the findings of the Hebridean Marine Energy Futures project, as well as give delegates from the likes of North America, China and Australia the chance to visit the planned site of the world’s largest wave farm off the coast of Lewis.
Mr Salmond said: “Scotland’s islands possess huge, untapped renewables potential and a skilled and enterprising workforce to turn that potential into tangible economic benefits.
“This conference will provide a significant boost to businesses across the Outer Hebrides and showcase the opportunities to develop a major industry for the islands’ future.”
Arne Vogler, Senior Research Engineer at UHI’s Lews Castle College and organiser of the conference, said: “This conference will allow the international research community to exchange experiences and findings from marine energy developments around the globe.”
Another conference focusing on the renewables industry in Inverness is set to host a hot debate on the potential impact of this year’s independence referendum on the sector.
Energy Minister Fergus Ewing MSP will deliver the keynote address at law firm Harper Macleod’s Scottish Highland Renewable Energy Conference in Inverness on 24 April.
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