Renewable UK campaign for marine energy
Transition pieces for the Thanet Wind Farm are seen in the Port of Ramsgate. Photo by Peter Barker
Britain's renewable energy trade association RenewableUK launched a campaign on Wednesday urging the Government not to cut vital financial support for the marine energy sector.
The SeaPower campaign was unveiled at the world's largest wave and tidal energy conference and exhibition, the Wave and Tidal Conference in London, where the keynote speaker was the Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change, Greg Barker.
Speaking before the event, RenewableUK's wave and tidal development manager Oliver Wragg said, ‘Our new report, "Wave and Tidal Energy in the UK" shows that Britain has the opportunity to lead the world in developing the emerging marine energy industry. This sector has the potential to employ 10,000 people and generate revenues of nearly £4bn per year by 2020. The removal of £42 million of ring fenced funding through the Marine Renewables Deployment Fund (MRDF) means that there will be no guaranteed support for the development of this technology from the end of March this year.’
Maria McCaffrey MBE, chief executive of RenewableUK added, ‘Britain is currently at the forefront of the marine energy sector globally. The huge economic and environmental opportunities arising from this growing industry are recognised by countries such as the USA, Canada and China, and there is a real danger that our leading position will be lost to overseas competitors. It is vital that the government retains its support for this sector.’
For his part, the Minster delivered a string of platitudes promising government commitment to marine energy but confirmed that the Marine Renewables Deployment Fund would be closed at the end of this financial year, with no funding thereafter.
He said, ‘I am determined to put in place a more effective way of supporting the development of marine energy which will lead to the right levels of investment and which will effectively push forward the sector. Of course, in a constrained fiscal environment, the needs of the marine sector will need to be considered alongside the needs of other technologies in a more holistic approach.’
The Low Carbon Innovation Group, which brings together government bodies supporting low carbon innovation, has been developing Technology Innovation Needs Assessments (TINAs). The Minister said he hoped that the Marine Energy Programme working group on finance will be able to participate in a stakeholder workshop on the marine TINA and that funding support based on the outcome of that work could be announced ‘in a few months time’.
It is possible that some indication of funding support or a timescale will be delivered in the Government’s annual budget announcement on 23 March.
The public are being encouraged to support the SeaPower Campaign by writing letters to their MP or by signing an online petition at: http://www.embracemyplanet.com/campaigns/seapower
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