Marine Energy Wales has appointed leading UK law firm Burges Salmon LLP to provide legal services for the Marine Energy Test Area (META) project in the Milford Haven Waterway.
Burges Salmon will support the Marine Energy Wales team on a range of legal matters such as contracts, management of The Crown Estate seabed leases, funding applications, research activity and development of META systems and processes.
Burges Salmon has a long history of advising the wave and tidal sectors in the UK and has been involved with many major marine and offshore renewable energy projects across the country, including Wave Hub, Minesto and MeyGen. Dating from the earliest projects and technologies Burges Salmon has been at the forefront of developing the sector from the legal perspective, and lobbying Government for support and the removal of barriers to deployment.
Ross Fairley, Head of Renewable Energy at Burges Salmon says: “We are delighted to be working with Marine Energy Wales on this important addition to Welsh marine energy infrastructure. Marine Energy Wales already has a talented team of advisors on board and we are pleased to be bringing our legal skills and sector expertise to the project.”
META will see the creation of a series of pre-consented, non-grid connected areas suitable for a range of component, sub assembly and marine energy device tests. Whilst some areas within the project will need to go through a formal consenting process including full EIA and Marine Licence application to NRW, Marine Energy Wales is aiming to have certain areas available for some test activities this year.
The £1.9 million project is being supported by the European Regional Development Fund along with the Coastal Communities Fund and the Swansea Bay City Deal.
To find out more about META visit the
Marine Energy Wales website.