British sea power

Government plans to scope out English and Welsh waters for their potential to host wave and tidal energy devices is seen as long overdue by some in the marine energy sector.

The scheme was announced by Lord Philip Hunt, the minister of state at the Department of Energy and Climate Change, on 30 April at the British Wind Energy conference in Bath.

‘The marine energy sector has reached a pivotal stage with more and more devices ready to go into the water,’ he said. ‘The screening exercise in English and Welsh waters is a significant step forward in our plans to harness the power of our seas and secure a renewable and low carbon energy supply.’

The UK is often seen as perfectly suited, geographically, for marine energy devices. The country is exposed to Atlantic waves built up over thousands of miles of ocean. The interaction between the Atlantic and the North Sea, the Irish Sea and the English Channel, and many other constrained passages between islands and mainland, create powerful tides and tonnes of high-speed water flow four times a day.