The Irish Maritime and Energy Resource Centre (IMERC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding on research collaboration with the U.S. Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Research Center (NNMREC).

An alliance between Cork Institute of Technology, the Irish Naval Service and UCC, IMERC seeks to harness and integrate public sector and industry expertise to develop the Cluster and to realise the potential of emerging economic sectors, including the nascent ocean energy sector.

NNMREC is a partnership between Oregon State University (OSU) and the University of Washington (UW). According to Mr Peter Coyle, Chairman of IMERC, both clusters have a unique range of capabilities and facilities to support marine renewable energy development. The areas of cooperation within the MOU include the exchange of data of mutual interest, mobility of researchers, students and scholars, and joint research, lectures and symposia.

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Marine renewable energy encompasses wave, tidal and offshore wind energy. Ireland’s location at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean and the location of Washington and Oregon States on the Pacific Ocean provide access to premier wind, wave and tidal resources in Europe and America respectively.

Researchers at IMERC and NNMREC have developed core competencies in technical, environmental, economic, and social aspects of marine renewable energy development. With both clusters closely engaged in demonstration-scale projects in their respective countries, the coming years will see an unprecedented opportunity for sharing of information and methods between researchers on both sides of the Atlantic.

(CD/GK)