December 30 2011

A project to expand Coplands Dock, Stromness, with a new pier and £5.5m support base for the marine energy industry has received financial backing to the tune of £1.8m from the European Regional Development Fund.

It will support efforts by Orkney Islands Council to develop the dock, in addition to two others at Kirkwall and Hoy, in a bid to bolster the islands status as a centre for the wave and tidal energy sectors.

Council Convener Stephen Hagan said: "This funding announcement represents a significant step forward in our three-port strategy for the future of marine renewables in Orkney.

"With the redeveloped Lyness pier already operational and in use by developers, and the extension to Hatston pier imminent, the funding green light for Copland’s Dock is another major milestone in our efforts to position Orkney well ahead of the game as the premier location for marine renewables in Scotland and the UK.”

Initial design work on the new pier has already begun with a planning application due to be submitted early in the New Year.

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