Selkie Holds Third AGM in Cork

Last Week, The Selkie Project held its third Annual General Meeting. Workpackage leads from both Irish and Welsh partners assembled at the MaREI Centre, The Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Energy, Climate and Marine, coordinated by the Environmental Research Institute (ERI) at University College Cork. Presentations and updates on output progress over the last year were delivered to in-person and online attendees, as the meeting followed the increasingly popular hybrid format.   The project is now in its final scheduled year of operation and the Selkie outputs are showing promising signs of being delivered within the project timeframe, which will conclude at the end of the year.  

The key outputs from the project are a series of open source tools comprising of a GIS-Techno- Economic calculator for Irish and Welsh waters, a Foundation and Mooring decision support tool, a  Generalised Actuator Disk – Computational Fluid Dynamics (GAD-CFD) tool for tidal array modelling, Selkie drone methodology – large-scale particle image velocimetry (LS-PIV), a low cost modular, adaptable wave and tidal data logger,  a Converging-Beam Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (C-ADCP), for high resolution tidal stream measurements and an Operations & Maintenance decision support tool specifically designed to lower logistics costs for marine energy operations.  For more information on Selkie tools please click here.

Another significant focus of the project has been the development of a cross-border network of small and medium-sized enterprises, actively involved within the Marine Renewables Energy (MRE) sector, or engaged as part of the supply chain from regional specific locations across Ireland and Wales.  Cross-border collaboration was a specific objective of COP26 and Selkie have been championing the benefits of the synergies created from this method of working since the project outset.  If you are interested in finding out more about the Selkie network please click here.

Once presentations had concluded, Selkie partners were given the opportunity of a guided tour around the LIR National Ocean Testing Facility (LIR NOTF), which is housed within the MaREI centre.  The  LIR NOTF is an internationally renowned centre of excellence, a custom designed test facility for laboratory testing of offshore wind, wave and tidal energy devices.  Selkie have partnered with the LIR NOTF and accepted applications at the start of the year from developers to test their scaled devices at the facilities.  Selkie were pleased to have accepted applications from 5 developers: 3 Irish (Gkinetic, Tidal Flyer and ORPC) and 2 Welsh (Bombora and Marine Power Systems).  Testing is due to commence from next month and each developer has been given an allotted timeframe to use the testing facilities.

The AGM was a great showcase of how far the project has come in three years – underlining the important collaboration and cooperation between Irish and Welsh partners. All of the open-source tools are nearing completion, the cross border network is growing and marine energy is continually evolving and stronger than ever.  Watch this space.