MASTS is made by and for its members
This Forum provides a platform for knowledge exchange, education and networking and brings together expertise in relevant areas such as marine renewable energy, oil and gas, marine planning, policy and social science. Strengthening coordination, building capacity, and improving the integration of multi- and interdisciplinary evidence into decision-making processes will be essential to enabling a just, timely, and environmentally responsible transition.
The MASTS ASM is a cross-disciplinary event that brings together the marine science community, with the aim of promoting and communicating research excellence and forging new collaborations. The event includes expert plenary speakers, general science and panel sessions, and e-posters.
The newly established Forum hosted a Session on 6th November 2024, introducing its remits and objectives and invited the community to a discussion about future activities.
To combat climate change, many countries have committed to transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable technologies. Many of these new technologies are set to be located with the marine environment with large areas of development planned in seas around the UK. These developments will themselves have impacts on the marine environment and will impact other users of the marine space. The MASTS Energy Transition Forum looks to bring together experts to explore the ecological, technological and social implications of this energy transition and to expand knowledge surrounding this topic.
The Policy and Innovation Group at the University of Edinburgh, in collaboration with the Supergen ORE Hub, Wave Energy Scotland and the Marine Energy Council, have published the 2024 UK Ocean Energy Review. More info here!
UK Offshore Renewable Energy in 2040: Building a Sustainable and Competitive ORE Sector on a Pathway to Net Zero by 2050
This report by the Supergen Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Hub puts emphasis on the need for urgent action in the offshore renewable energy sector to help the UK meet its Net Zero targets. Research and innovation are named as key factors, as well as the main areas of focus such as the consenting process, supply chain and infrastructure and workforce.
Webinar “Energy Innovation Emporium 2021: Accelerating the Contribution of Ocean Energy to Net Zero”
Lead by Gordon Hastie (University of St Andrews) in September 2021 and included MASTS Renewable Energy Forum members and speakers from ETP, IEA Ocean Energy Systems, Mocean Energy, Orbital Marine Power, Wave Energy Scotland, University of Edinburgh and the University of Strathclyde.
Watch the Webinar Here!
UK End User Engagement
View the UK end user engagement diagram for offshore renewables
Tethys Engineering Photo Library
Photos and illustrations of marine renewable energy devices, arrays, and facilities, available for free third party use.
PRIMRE – Portal & Repository for Information on Marine Renewable Energy
For access to information on projects and technologies, resource characterization, device performance, and environmental effects take a look here.
Report “Addressing the ecological implications of offshore renewable energy developments across receptor groups – shaping future marine energy research”
Final report from the ScotMER and MREF MASTS Workshop (Oct 5, 2019) Read the report here!
Strategy “An Offshore Renewable Energy Environmental Research & Innovation Strategy for the UK”
The principal aim of developing this environmental R&I strategy for UK ORE, is to set out the high level environmental R&I priorities for the next five to ten years, together with measures for coordinating activity across the various funding organisations and key stakeholder interests, to ensure that the general direction of travel is towards developing a sustainable ORE industry. (December 2018) More on the Strategy Here!
Understanding the Energy Transition
The energy transition refers to a shift away from using energy derived from fossil fuels (such as coal, oil, and gas) towards energy generated from alternative renewable sources (such as wind, tidal, and solar). These alternatives produce little or no carbon emissions and are therefore cleaner and more sustainable. The energy transition involves not only changes in energy production, but also broader shifts in infrastructure, regulation and consumption.
This Forum’s Purpose & What We’re Working to Address
This Forum aims at working with industry and policymakers and delivering impactful multi/inter-disciplinary research, as well as supporting capacity building for the energy transition. The marine energy transition presents both significant opportunities and considerable complexity. Achieving the pace and scale of change required to meet climate and energy targets involves system-wide challenges, including the advancement of scientific understanding, the development of new technologies, and the consideration of societal, environmental, and regulatory factors in planning and delivery.
Aims and Objectives
Thematic Focus
The shift from marine fossil fuels to alternative marine renewable fuels (offshore wind, tidal, wave, hydrogen). Key topics include:
Reader | Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Interests: Marine Renewable Energy Systems | Analysis of power capture, transfer and take off performance | Scale model testing
Research Fellow
Interests: Interactions between fisheries and offshore developments | Commercial fisheries sector | Impacts of climate change on fish resource distribution and which fleets/ports might be most impacted by offshore developments
Associate Professor Marine Governance & Blue Economy
Interests: Applied marine social-ecology | Ecosystem Modelling | Blue economy industries, incl. marine renewable energy, fisheries & aquaculture | PI of TRANSitions In Energy For Coastal Communities Over Time And Space (TRANSECTS) Project
Environment Manager
Interests: Oil Spill Response | Circular Economy | Chemical Compliance | Radiological Issues | General marine environmental regulatory compliance
Visiting Professor at RGU | Honorary Professor at Heriot-Watt University
Interests: Impact of human activities on the marine environment incl. pollutants and their effects | Ocean acidification and its effects | Impacts of climate change | Impacts of extractive industries
Research Fellow | Environmental Research Institute
Interests: Ornithology and renewable energy interactions (movement ecology & behaviour, collision risk modelling, population ecology & modelling) | Risk/sensitivity assessments | Cumulative Impact Assessment methods
Environmental Engineer
Interests: Environmental & Marine Sciences | Physical Oceanography | Environmental consenting management and monitoring of tidal stream array | Consenting of a battery energy storage system | Resilient and low-carbon energy infrastructure in Scotland
Marine Planning & Policy Advisor
Interests: Linking National Planning Policy with Sectoral Marine Planning for Offshore Wind Energy | Development of general planning policies & sector-specific planning policies at a national level
Senior Ecological & Environmental Statistician
Interests: Delivering strategic research addressing knowledge gaps on potential impacts of offshore renewable energy on marine ecosystems | Interactions between marine wildlife (esp. top predators) and renewable energy developments | Ecological statistics, data science
Benthic Biogeochemist
Interests: Impact of energy infrastructure on seabed dynamics | Sedimentary carbon cycling and carbon dynamics | Anthropogenic activity impacts on seabed biodiversity and carbon stocks
Benthic Biogeochemist
Interests: Impact of energy infrastructure on seabed dynamics | Sedimentary carbon cycling and carbon dynamics | Anthropogenic activity impacts on seabed biodiversity and carbon stocks
Professor | Co-Director of PeriDynamics Research Centre (PDRC)
Interests: Peridynamics | iFEM | Ships & offshore structures | Offshore renewable energy, floating wind turbines, floating PV systems, tidal energy devices | Ice-structure interactions | Fluid-structure interaction | Composite materials | Corrosion damage | Structural health monitoring | Digital twin
MASTS was founded in 2009 to be a unique collaboration between marine research organisations, government and industry.
Charity Number: SC045259
Company Number: SC485726
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