Scotland’s £10M Saltire prize to accelerate marine energy development

Funding opportunity

Scotland’s Saltire Prize, the largest government innovation prize in the world, is now open for applications. The prize will go to a commercially viable wave or tidal energy technology that is able to generate at least 100 Gigawatts of electricity, enough to power 10,000 homes over two years.

The Crown Estate, as owners of the seabed around the UK, will run a dedicated leasing round over this summer to allow Saltire Prize competitors to test their devices in Scottish waters.

The Saltire Prize grand challenge period will run between 2012 and 2017, to allow sufficient time for competitors to secure leases and meet the required licensing and consenting requirements.

£10 million will be awarded to the team that can demonstrate, in Scottish waters, a commercially viable wave or tidal stream energy technology that achieves the greatest volume of electrical output over the set minimum hurdle of 100 Gigawatt hours over a continuous two year period.

Since the Saltire Prize Grand Challenge was announced in December 2008, there have been 140 registrations of interest from 27 countries.

Timeline

• March 2010 - Saltire Prize applications opens

• June 2012 - Grand Challenge testing opens

• June 2017 - Grand Challenge testing closes

• July 2017 - Judging and award of Saltire Prize

For more information, see: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Business-Industry/Energy/Action/leading/saltire-prize/detail/guidelines