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Britain’s opportunity to lead in exporting marine energy technologies

UK could become leading exporter of wave and tidal power, say MPs New report from Energy and Climate Change Committee calls on government to establish long term goals for marine energy guardian.co.uk,   20 February 2012 The government will today be called on to increase its support for wave and tidal power in a new report from MPs warning the UK is at risk of repeating mistakes which allowed the country to lose its early lead in the developing wind power industry.

MPs on the Commons’ Energy and Climate Change Committee (ECC) on Monday released a report on the future of marine renewables, which will claim the UK could become a leading exporter of wave and tidal power equipment and expertise if the government adopts a more visionary approach to developing marine energy.

Seven of the the eight full-scale prototype devices installed worldwide are in UK waters, making the country the current world leader in the development of wave and tidal energy technologies.

The government has also recognised that marine power could provide up to 27GW of capacity in the UK by 2050, much of which is expected to be deployed after 2020.

But the report warns that an overly cautious approach to deployment may allow other less risk-averse countries to steal the UK’s lead.

Industry players are concerned that government proposals for subsidies for marine and tidal only extend to 2017, leaving a question mark over the sector’s long-term future.

The ECC report will issue a series of recommendations designed to ensure the UK retains its leading position, including clarifying how much revenue support marine power can expect to receive beyond 2017 as soon as possible.

It also recommends the government boost investor certainly by setting a target to reduce the cost of marine energy to 14p per kWh by 2020.

According to the Carbon Trust, the first wave farms are likely to cost 38-48p/kWh and the first tidal farms 29-33p/kWh, although developers remain confident costs will fall as technologies mature.

“Britannia really could rule the waves when it comes to marine renewable energy,” said committee chairman Tim Yeo. “We are extremely well placed to lead the world in wave and tidal technologies, which could potentially bring significant benefits in manufacturing and jobs, as well an abundant supply of reliable low-carbon electricity.”

The report urges the government not to repeat the same mistake it made in the 1980s in developing wind power, which saw the UK lose its one-time lead in research and testing wind turbines to Denmark, which is now home to the world’s largest supplier of wind turbines.

“In the eighties the UK squandered the lead it had in wind power development and now Denmark has a large share of the worldwide market in turbine manufacturing,” added Yeo. “It should be a priority for the Government to ensure that the UK remains at the cutting edge of developments in this technology and does not allow our lead to slip.”….. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/feb/20/uk-exporter-wave-tidal-power?newsfeed=true

February 21, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | renewable, UK