Marine Renewables
Commercialisation Fund
(MRCF)
Array Technology Innovation
Programme
Preliminary Application Guidance
Deadline for Preliminary Application: 17:00 on 30th September 2013
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Background
The Marine Renewables Commercialisation Fund (MRCF) is a Scottish Government fund
administered by the Carbon Trust. Its goal is to help commercialise the marine energy industry in
Scotland.
The MRCF programme will provide capital support for projects that will accelerate the deployment
of commercial-scale wave and tidal stream energy in Scottish Waters and/or support innovative
enabling technologies or infrastructure that will de-risk future arrays.
Programme objectives
There are a number of critical array supporting technologies and other innovations which are
required to enable first and early arrays and/or significantly reduce the risk or cost compared with
existing solutions. The Array Technology Innovation Programme is seeking projects to support which
will deliver new and better solutions to enable arrays and reduce the costs and risks.
Scope of support
The programme will support enabling technology innovations targeted at early arrays and which are
also expected to be applicable in the longer term to commercial arrays:
Array Technology Innovation Programme
Applications for projects falling into the areas listed in the table below are strongly encouraged, as
these reflect the priorities identified by the Marine Farm Accelerator (MFA) programme, a new
initiative of the Carbon Trust and the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult. We anticipate that the
Array Technology Innovation Programme projects will be closely aligned with the MFA priorities,
however consideration for support will also be given to applications for projects outwith these areas.
MFA innovation area
High level description of target areas for support.
1. Operations &
maintenance
Installation and recovery systems

Novel procedures, systems and methods for deployment and recovery of
marine devices
O&M


Instrumentation for condition monitoring
Advanced O&M planning tools
Navigational Risk Avoidance

2. Yield optimisation
Solutions to address interactions with other users of the marine space
Measurement


Wave/tidal resource measurement technologies
Measurement technologies for device wakes and turbulence
Modelling

Resource modelling and assessment techniques
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
3. Site characterisation
Measurement


4. Electrical systems
Measurement and forecasting of metocean data
Advanced geotechnical/geophysical survey techniques and instruments,
and data interpretation
Sub-sea electrical infrastructure



5. Installation, foundations
and station keeping
(tidal and wave)
Yield assessment – device performance, interactions and wakes
Cabling – design, installation, protection and maintenance, particularly in
high tidal environments
Wet-mate connectors
Sub-sea hubs and transformers
Tidal foundations


Novel structural design
Sub-sea engineering and installation methods
Moorings



Anchors for different seabed types
Novel Cabling and mooring systems
Anti-fouling methods
Innovation project solutions should be widely applicable across a broad range of sites and
technology types (wave and/or tidal). This programme is unlikely to support innovations which have
a limited scope of application or are related directly to a specific generation device. We note
however that this does not exclude device developers from applying where the innovation has broad
industry-wide benefits.
In addition, we anticipate applications to this programme to be for R&D type activity however
technical feasibility studies may also be supported where they materially progresses the needs of
the sector.
Preliminary Applications for innovation projects
Preliminary Applications for innovative projects are being sought from innovators developing
solutions that will be applicable to arrays in Scottish Waters. The application should include a brief
description of innovation projects that you believe will advance the goals of the MRCF and be highly
complementary to the installation of early marine energy arrays in Scotland. This information will be
used by the Carbon Trust and Scottish Government to inform decisions on whether to fund
innovation spend alongside or instead of other MRCF funding priorities. Projects will be assessed
based upon the Selection Criteria below and, if deemed appropriate, will be invited to make a full
application.
The submission of a Preliminary Application is non-binding and for information only. If the applicant
is invited to submit a full application for funding it will be possible to revise application details. The
Carbon Trust may also request project changes where it sees additional benefit or to meet certain
constraints.
Support available
We expect to be able to provide MRCF funding in the order of up to £2 million for a limited number
of selected projects. Applications for projects in excess of this amount may also be submitted and
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will be considered as they may be eligible for partial support, or support from other subsequent
funding sources, e.g. the Marine Farm Accelerator, and will help inform the Carbon Trust and
Scottish Government of future innovation project needs and opportunities.
Projects falling under the MFA priority areas have the potential to transition to future sponsorship
by the MFA and thus could potentially benefit from longer and deeper financial support. With this in
mind, the details of this Preliminary Application may be shared with the MFA Prospective Partners,
all of whom would be bound by confidentiality agreements. This will be discussed further with
applicants at the full application stage. Further detail on the MFA is available at:
http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/mfa.
The MRCF funding must be distributed before the end of the comprehensive spending review period
ending on 31st March 2015. The support available will be subject to State Aid limits, further detail of
which is included in the Stage Aid Guidance note document. We remind applicants to keep in mind
that collaborative projects may be eligible for higher levels of State Aid support.
Selection criteria
All preliminary applications will be assessed against the below criteria to determine whether a full
application will be requested. Projects should:






Support, either directly or indirectly, multiple marine energy (tidal stream or wave) arrays
planned for Scottish Waters with relevance particularly to early arrays and ideally future
commercial arrays too.
Contribute to reductions in cost of energy and risk, and accelerate commercialisation of the
marine energy industry.
Be relevant to identified industry needs, such as the priority areas identified by the MFA in
the table above.
Add economic benefit to Scotland and to the wave and tidal sectors.
Be completed before 31st March 2015 (projects or portions of projects that extend beyond
this date will require support from a complementary source)
Represent acceptable risk and good value for public sector support.
Application process
This Preliminary Application is intended to be used to screen potential projects. Selected projects
will then be invited to complete a more detailed full application form which will be subject to full
assessment and due diligence to inform a potential award decision.
The separate Preliminary Application form should be filled out and returned to
laura.fidao@carbontrust.com by the stated deadline.
Milestone
Dates (2013)
Deadline preliminary application
17:00 on 30th September
Project assessment/screening
Early October
Full Application Process
Mid October- November
Awards and projects start
December onwards
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