Located in in Pentland Firth and Orkney waters, it incorporates the European Marine Energy Centre, where testing of a wide range of wave and tidal energy devices is already under way. One of those is Pelamis P2 wave energy converter.

Richard Yemm, commercial director and founder of Pelamis Wave Power, said the park “creates an even more solid platform for commercialisation of the sector, while maximising economic benefits for the local community”.

Pelamis and its customers E.ON and ScottishPower Renewables are developing 200MW of wave farm projects within the new Marine Energy Park. “Today’s announcement further underpins our commitment to this region, and puts in place another cornerstone for the next stages of our commercial development,” Yemm said.

Energy and Climate Change Minister Greg Barker also welcomed the launc. ““It’s great to see Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters confirm their place on the marine power map,” he said. “This area is already a vital part of the marine industry, thanks to its high tidal stream and wave resource. This park will help bring together local knowledge and expertise to spur on further development in this exciting industry

The park will build on collaborative partnerships in the region between government on the main land and the Orkney Islands, Highlands and Islands Enterprise(HIE), plus a cluster of local expertise and renewable resource in the area, to help speed up progress of marine power development.

The park is the second in the UK. The first UK marine energy park, in South West England, was launched in January.