Harnessing the
full potential of marine energy could provide enough power for up
to 15million homes and save up to 70million tonnes of C02 by 2050
according to the Government’s Marine Energy Action Plan, released today.
The document also highlights the potential for the marine energy
sector to provide up to 16,000 jobs, with a quarter of these in exports.
Launching the plan at Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland, home
of the 1.2MW SeaGen turbine – the world’s first operating,
commercial-scale tidal stream turbine, Lord Hunt of Kings
Heath, Minister of State for Energy said:
"Harnessing the power of our seas will help us reduce
our carbon emissions, provide clean, green, secure and reliable
energy, create jobs and provide export opportunities.
"This Action Plan sets out our vision for what marine
energy can do for the UK and what we need to do to make it happen.
I look forward to working with industry and other partners to get
the most out of our waters and build a new, world-leading energy
generation sector in the UK."
The Plan – which has been developed by Government jointly with
industry – sets out the actions needed to drive the marine energy
sector forward.
Key recommendations include:
• Forming a UK-wide strategic coordination group to develop a
planning and consenting roadmap for all types of marine renewables;
• Consideration of support levels for marine technologies under
the review of banding of the Renewables Obligation in Autumn;
• Ensuring that the appropriate levels of targeted funding are
available to bridge the technology market failures that exist in
this developing sector, subject to the budgets in the next public
spending round;
• Leveraging private equity, and in the longer term, project
capital into the sector;
• Establishing guidelines and best practice in the development of
new technologies; and
• Building a UK marine energy supply chain and utilising the
current skills base
already established from the offshore
wind, oil and gas, and maritime industries.
Lord Hunt also announced the establishment of a Ministerial Task
Force on Marine Energy, which will bring together key players to
oversee future work on the Marine Energy Action Plan.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
1. The full Marine Energy Action plan is available to download at
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/what_we_do/uk_supply/energy_mix/renewable/explained/wave_tidal/funding/marine_action_/marine_action_.aspx
2. "Marine Energy" refers to wave, tidal stream
and tidal range energy generation technologies.
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