Solent Ocean Energy Centre (SOEC)

SOEC Services

SOEC’s purpose will be to support the research and development necessary for the country to exploit the global business opportunities in the tidal energy sector.  

The project provides the opportunity for Marine Current Energy Converter (MCEC) developers to deploy in a tidal rich, sea-based site, giving them real life operational experience and revenue from being connected to the grid.

SOEC will provide users with:

• full technical and operational support, including grid connection;
• assistance with off-take agreement and accreditation for market mechanisms;
• real-time monitoring of operational data and marine resource/meteorological conditions;
• continued monitoring of array performance, device interaction effects and environmental impact;
• assistance with regulatory and consenting issues.

It will also:

• facilitate links between the industry and academic institutes;
• encourage tenants to engage with the wider renewables sector in the region;
• promote tidal developments and projects in other locations in the UK;
• work to increase the local and national supply chain involved in the construction; development and operation of marine energy projects;
• complement, not compete with existing test centres.

Part of the wider offering is the ‘Solent Cluster’;a Solent-based onshore group of hard and soft assets, including a world class offshore renewables supply chain, a well-established maritime and offshore skills base, and a world leading support and development infrastructure. Specific to SOEC, it is intended to create a Portside Facility and Technology Centre (PFTC) encompassing the full range of activities associated with the MCEC technology, namely:

• research and development;
• manufacture and assembly;
• operational planning;
• deployment;
• operation and maintenance actions;
• performance monitoring;
• decommissioning.

Within the PFTC, device developers will be able to establish office bases, carry out design work and modifications in workshop units and assemble up to full-size tidal turbines for deployment. The facility will have suitable wharfage for deployment vessels and cranes to load devices on and off the vessels.