A new hub putting Scotland at the heart of European green energy research will be launched by Jim Mather in Brussels tonight.

The Scottish European Green Energy Centre (SEGEC) will play a pivotal role in putting Scotland at the centre of European research, development and deployment of clean energy technologies, such as carbon capture and renewable heat.

The official launch, part of St Andrew's week, will be attended by representatives of EU institutions, member states and regions, academia and businesses.

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Energy Minister Jim Mather will also meet the European Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs to discuss how the Centre can strengthen the EU's approach to the North Sea Grid, marine renewables and, building on Mr Mather's recent visit to Norway, carbon capture and storage technologies in the North Sea.

Mr Mather said: "The Scottish Government is committed to making Scotland the Green Energy Capital of Europe and the Scottish European Green Energy Centre marks another significant step towards that goal.

"We are uniquely placed to help Europe deliver sustainable and secure energy supplies. Harnessing our unrivalled renewable energy potential - a quarter of Europe's potential tidal and offshore wind and 10 per cent of its potential wave power - will boost economic growth and help meet tough European climate change targets. And just this month the European Commission confirmed a North Sea supergrid as one of the EU's six strategic infrastructure projects."

(GK/JM)