A group of companies working on offshore renewable energy projects has said they hope to expand next year by hiring the first graduates from a new UEA engineering course.

4NRG in Lowestoft is working on tidal energy devices, with one now being tested off the Suffolk coast. It also hopes to install three large wave tanks at its headquarters in OrbisEnergy to enable small scale tests, including possible research collaborations with the university.

4NRG has installed a seven-metre long device called the Tidal Harvester 2 off the coast this month for testing, which was built by Lowestoft-based Small & Co.

It works by allowing the tide to pass over turning blades to generate power, and the hope is that they can be widely marketed as a source of sustainable energy.

It and sister firms Scour Prevention Systems and Extremis now hope to take on the first batch of graduates from the recently-announced MSc
course in energy engineering and environmental management at the UEA.

The course, beginning in September is designed to build on expertise in

applied mathematics, energy and environmental management.

Mark Aspinall, 4NRG director, said all the firms were "actively looking at working with UEA engineers".

"If we get funding we'll be running at least two teams of engineers in terms of R&D, which would 'be half a dozen engineers," he said.

"The news that the engineering degree was coming to UEA was fantastic. Just having such a quality
resource on our doorstep makes life easier."