EMEC chief wins top award

Neil Kermode, managing director of the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney, has been presented with the ‘Outstanding Contribution’ award at the prestigious Scottish Green Energy Awards.

The coveted award, sponsored by Highlands and Islands Enterprise, honours an individual or organisation that has made an exceptional contribution to the success of the renewables industry.

The ceremony was run by Scottish Renewables and held at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.

Reflecting on the accolade which he received on Thursday Neil said: “I was truly amazed and stunned to receive this award. It is all very well to believe you are doing the right things, but to receive such a public affirmation and unexpected endorsement is deeply moving.

“However I can only accept this if it is understood that this is on behalf of everybody who is working in the marine renewable energy industry, most of whom work harder than I do and have more on the line than me. I gratefully accepted the award as a mark that everybody’s hard graft is recognised.”