A justice and responsible research and innovation exploration of marine renewables and green hydrogen in island communities

Both marine renewables and hydrogen are being tested by the European Marine Energy Centre in the Orkney Islands, Scotland. Given their emerging nature, there is opportunity, and risk, pertaining to their development and deployment. This research will contribute conceptually and methodologically through the integration of energy justice and responsible research and innovation (RRI) frameworks, strengthening justice analyses in relation to emerging energy technologies. This integrated model will be mobilized to critically scrutinize marine energy and green hydrogen as two future energy sources within the energy system. Following exploration of these technologies, this work will then contextualise them into place-based considerations of Orkney's just energy transition. Placing the energy sources and technologies at the centre of justice analyses, insights will have the potential to inform their development and deployment in Orkney and beyond. Exploring them within the local Orkney context will initiate an essential and important discussion of energy futures in the archipelago. This publication sets out the empirical and conceptual context for this work and presents a novel conceptual and methodological model combining energy justice and RRI frameworks. Preliminary methods are also discussed, including methods and outcomes from co-creation workshops held at research design phase.