A world first achieved by EMEC, the European Marine Energy Centre, will be officially recognised during a ceremony in Orkney on Wednesday, May 31.

EMEC's test facilities gained an international quality benchmark when they were officially ratified by UKAS, the United Kingdom Accreditation Service.

The UKAS accreditation - a world first - means that renewable energy developers can use EMEC's Atlantic test bed off Orkney to secure independent verification of the performance of wave energy converters. This is vital as they seek to take prototype technology into the commercial market place.

On Wednesday, UKAS chief executive Paul Stennett and chairman Lord Jamie Lindsay will present the accreditation certificate to EMEC during a ceremony at Billia Croo, near Stromness.

Neil Kermode, EMEC's managing director, said: "Gaining UKAS accreditation was vitally important for the centre.

"It clearly demonstrates that EMEC is the place to go if developers want their machines to be thoroughly tested and independently verified.

"It also shows that we have a global role to play in the development of a new marine renewables industry with huge potential for the UK, for Scotland and for Orkney in particular."