Plans announced for a study into the feasibility of wind and wave farms off the coast of Northern Ireland and Scotland have been welcomed by The Renewable Energy Centre.

Costing 1.6 million and funded mainly by Inter-Reg, an EU (European Union) funded programme, the study will begin later this year.

The study will investigate the possibility of establishing a grid infrastructure between the two locations, which would allow for an offshore transmission network.

This would attract commercial investors and the area could become one of the key supply chains of renewable energy for Scotland and the UK.

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The Renewable Energy Centre said it was a positive move forward for the renewable energy industry and the grid infrastructure.

The centre has already highlighted the issues many investors are experiencing with delays because of grid access and transmission and this study shows that efforts are being made to create a grid network which will support the future of the UK's energy supply.

The Renewable Energy Centre said that more effort to upgrade and prepare the national grid could not come soon enough and that if the UK was to continue to flourish in the wind, wave and tidal industry improvements needed to be planned and implemented without delay.

Richard Simmons, the centre's Managing Director, said: "The renewable industry is forging ahead in order to ensure the UK’s future energy supply but as usual our infrastructure is sadly lacking.

"Much of the national grid will need to be upgraded in the next 5 to 10 years but at this rate it will seriously affect the progress of the renewable energy industry," he added.

(PR/JM)