EU invests £5million in marine bio fuels research

The European Union has awarded nearly £5million to leading marine science experts to pioneer research into the production of renewably energy.

The experts from Northern Ireland, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland will be funded by Northern Ireland, Border Region of Ireland and western Scotland INTERREG IVA Programme to carry out innovative research into the production of renewable energy from seaweeds and marine algae from shared seas. It will harness the expertise and resources of the three countries.

The Scottish Association for Marine Sciences in Oban will lead development work on the cross-border project, in partnership with Queens University Belfast and the University of Ulster in Northern Irelan; and the Institutes of Technology in Dundalk and Sligo in the Republic of Ireland.

Announcing Northern Ireland’s support for this major tripartite study, Energy Minister Arlene Foster said: “The BioMara research is at the cutting edge of marine renewable energy technology and will put the region and our universities at the forefront of world wide marine bio-energy research. The work will significantly increase our knowledge in a key growth area for renewable energy.”

“It has great potential for cleaner energy sources from abundant marine plant life to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and open up economic opportunities for Northern Ireland. I am very pleased that Northern Ireland is working closely with Scotland, the Irish Republic and the European Union to fund and support this important research.”

Scotland’s First Minister, Alex Salmond, welcomed the collaboration on the project and said: “The £5million investment is a welcome boost to what is proving to be one of our most resilient and promising sectors in these challenging economic times. By identifying the potential for a new industry, this regional project could bring long term economic and social benefits to the cross border area, including the prospect of hundreds of valuable jobs in remote coastal areas and islands. The development of mari-fuels could have a lasting impact on remote and rural communities by providing locally produced, relatively cheap, low impact fuel as well as serving the local public transport infrastructure.”

Commenting on the Irish Government’s support for the BioMara study, Energy Minister, Eamon Ryan said: “I believe that the premise of the project is both exciting and potentially very significant - that marine algae can be harvested, processed and then utilised as a green energy source. There is huge potential for this, provided it can be proven as viable.

“This is one of the best projects ever brought before, and approved by, the Energy Theme of INTERREG. I commend the wisdom of the collaborating teams in bringing forward this complex project in a manner which will utilise the individual strengths of the teams while providing a synergy that no one partner or jurisdiction could have managed alone. In particular, I commend the Scottish partners in leading in this, their first year in this particular INTERREG Programme.”

Work will get underway on the four year research study in early 2009.

Notes to Editors

1. 1. The Cross Border Cooperation (CBC) Programme was approved by the EC in November 2007 and formally launched in Belfast in April 2008 by Commissioner Hübner. Due to changes in EU rules on geographical eligibility, regions of Western Scotland, from Dumfries & Galloway to Highlands, now form part of the area eligible for the programme.
2. 2. The BioMara tri-partite (Scotland, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland) research project aims to demonstrate the feasibility and viability of locally producing mari-fuels from marine biomass derived from seaweed and plant sources (algae) as an alternative to agri-fuel production from land based plants.
3. 3. The total project value is around €6m (approx £5m). Around 65% of funding will be directed to the lead partner, the Scottish Association of Marine Science (SAMS) based in Oban, and the remainder split between the other partners - University of Strathclyde; the Questor Centre, Queens University Belfast and University of Ulster; the Centre for Renewable Energy at Dundalk Institute of Technology (CREDIT) and the Institute of Technology, Sligo.
4. 4. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, NI and the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources have committed to match-fund the elements of the project being undertaken by their respective research bodies.
5. 5. Along with the recently approved ISLES project which aims to make a regional case for an marine electricity grid network between Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland, the Biomara project consolidates the region’s success under the Cross Border Cooperation Programme; bringing total investment of €256million to Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
6. 6. The Cross-Border Territorial Cooperation Programme for Northern Ireland, the Border Region of Ireland and Western Scotland 2007-2013 (the INTERREG IVA Programme) is a European Union supported Structural Funds Programme which seeks to address the economic and social problems which result from the existence of borders. The INTERREG IVA Programme will continue the earlier Programme’s strong focus on Ireland, North and South, by assisting two categories of project: (i) North South projects, as before; (ii) Tripartite projects that involve Ireland, North and South, and Scotland. Every project will therefore have an Ireland, North and South, element. The Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) will be Managing Authority for the new Programme.The INTERREG IVA 2007-2013 Programme for Northern Ireland, the Border Region of Ireland and Western Scotland is worth €256million
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