The assurance came this week after community representatives raised questions about the ability of the area to maximise the benefits from the new power sources that are set to be installed in the Pentland Firth.

Renewed concern was also voiced about Caithness continuing to be put in the shade by Orkney in terms of public investment in the fledgling industry that is seen as having the potential for significant economic benefits.

The fears were addressed by Highlands and Islands Enterprise's Louise Smith at Tuesday night's meeting of the Association of Caithness Community Councils.

Ms Smith said Caithness is on track to secure significant economic spin-offs from the wave and tidal energy ventures in the firth.

This would build up as the first wave of small-scale demonstration devices is succeeded in the mid-2010s by fully-fledged commercial arrays.

She said the Crown Estate's target of having 700 megawatts of the new green power being generated by 2020 should be comfortably exceeded.

On the evidence of current demand, she maintained the output should rack up from about 200 MW in 2016 to between 1500 to 2000 MW within four years.

Ms Smith, HIE's Thurso-based Pentland Firth marine energy project manager, said the area is going to be the focus of worldwide attention.

"The Pentland Firth is about to be launched as a global focus for marine energy, just as the area was the international focus for nuclear energy 50 years ago," she explained.

Association chairman John Green said the community benefits from the new activity had still to be made clear. "We'll soon see people putting devices in the water off our coastline.

"We'll be looking for benefits such as jobs and use of local facilities. We'll be looking for quite a bit of benefit when things get going," he stated.

Fears that the roads and other infrastructure in Caithness may not be able to cope with the demands of the new industry were aired by Castletown and District Community Council chairman Douglas Fraser.

Neil Buchanan, who chairs Dunbeath and Berriedale Community Council, was concerned manufacture of the devices would be done overseas.

Janet Mowat, secretary of Halkirk Community Council, questioned the relationship between Orkney and Caithness over marine power.

She said: "When you read the Orkney papers, you would think Orkney is a competitor rather than an ally."

Derrick Milnes, treasurer of Caithness West Community Council, observed that the island has attracted a lot more public investment than Caithness in support of development work.

"There's an enormous disparity in the amount which the areas have received," he stated. "The view here is that somebody has to shake the tree and make sure something drops out on this part of the firth." Ms Smith said work was currently being done to estimate the number of jobs Caithness could expect to gain from the new industry.

She cited the example of the 315 kilowatt Oyster wave device which was deployed off EMEC's base at Stomness last year.

She said 30 contractors from Caithness and Orkney were involved in its installation in an operation which ploughed an estimated £1 million-plus into the local economy.

Ms Smith is confident the infrastructure in Caithness can cope with the short-term demands of the marine power developers.

She added that major improvements are planned at Scrabster harbour and elsewhere to cater for the scaling up of the offshore developments.

She said that it is ideal for developers that devices can be made and delivered within 25 miles of where they are to be installed.

Ms Smith was keen to knock the suggestion that Caithness and Orkney are competing for trade. She said the two areas need to work along with other parts of the Highlands to optimise the benefits.

The existence of EMEC has been a major asset in attracting marine energy companies to the firth," she stated.

Ms Smith insisted: "There's more than enough for everyone. We really must all pull together."

She said Caithness has the major advantage of having a large, skilled workforce which could easily adapt to marine power.

Public agencies at local, regional and national level, she added, are working hard behind the scenes to ensure marine power can play a significant role in helping offset the rundown of Dounreay.

iain-grant@ukf.net

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