TOKYO, Japan 3/9/12 (PennWell) -- Representatives from the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) have signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ocean Energy Association of Japan (OEAJ) to develop a marine energy test center in Japan.

As per the memorandum, EMEC will assist the Japanese Marine Energy Centre (JMEC) with advice and support through the design, set up and operation phases, according to an EMEC release.

The partnership is prompted largely by Japan's need for alternative major energy generation schemes that don't rely on nuclear power or fossil fuels, EMEC says.

An exact location for the new test site has not yet been determined, although it will resemble the one EMEC established in 2003 off the coast of Orkney in Scotland.