The Guardian 1 May 09;
A new study will provide the British government with data on how much renewable power the seas could generate. From the BusinessGreen, part of the Guardian Environment Network
A new government-commissioned study is to examine the full energy potential of English and Welsh waters, as part of ongoing efforts to accelerate the development and deployment of wave and tidal generation technologies.
The new study, which will be carried out by environmental consultancies AEA and Hartley Anderson, will seek input from developers, utilities and small businesses about how and where they plan to install marine renewable energy projects.
Speaking at the British Wind Energy Agency (BWEA) tidal and wave conference earlier today, energy minister Lord Hunt said the study marked a "significant step forward" in the government's plans to bolster the UK's marine energy sector, adding that it came at "a pivotal stage" for the emerging industry as growing numbers of firms deliver devices that are ready to be deployed.
"The screening exercise will allow us to better understand the energy potential of marine energy devices and the realistic timescale of when multiple devices will be installed and commissioned," he said.
The government said that the results of the preliminary study will be used to decide whether or not a full-scale Strategic Environment Assessment (SEA) is required for English and Welsh waters, in addition to the SEAs that have already been carried out off the coast of Scotland and in the Severn Estuary.
However, the Renewable Energy Association (REA) expressed disappointment at the move, arguing that there was no need for a screening exercise and that a full SEA should be given the go-ahead straight away. "It's good that government seems to recognise the need for an SEA but we'd rather have heard that the work was actually going to start," said Steph Merry, head of marine renewable energy at the REA. "The screening exercise is an unfortunate delay and the timescale needs to be expedited."
Scientists and engineers have long argued that the UK has some of the richest marine energy resources in the world, and the country is already home to a number of the world's leading marine energy firms.
Previous studies have suggested that tidal technologies in the Severn Estuary could generate five per cent of the UK's electricity, while Scottish first minister Alex Salmond recently delivered a high-profile commitment to make Scotland the "Saudi Arabia of marine energy".
The REA said that under present English and Welsh rules The Crown Estate, which manages UK marine resources, will only grant short-term leases for demonstration projects no larger than 10MW, effectively blocking larger developments. In contrast, the Scottish government has followed its SEA by opening bidding in the Penland Firth for tidal devices up to 300MW in size.
"An SEA would make a huge difference to the development of commercial-scale wet renewables in England and Wales," said Merry. "The UK is currently a world leader in the development of wave and tidal stream devices. It is imperative that we keep hold of that lead in order to meet our renewable energy targets and to ensure jobs and investment in UK manufacturing now and in the future."
A spokesman for the Department of Energy and Climate Change said that there was no fixed date for a report, but that the screening exercise would take about six months.
• This article was shared by our content partner BusinessGreen, part of the Guardian Environment Network
UK Launches Green Study For Marine Energy
Nao Nakanishi, PlanetArk 1 May 09;
BATH - The UK government is to launch an environmental study on marine energy projects in England and Wales, paving the way for commercial wave and tidal devices to be deployed.
Lord Hunt, Climate Change Minister, told a conference the government would start screening for the Strategic Environmental Assessment for marine energy in the two countries, required for all major infrastracture projects by the EU.
It is to be completed by late 2011.
"It's a signal really that we are very serious about marine (energy)," he told reporters.
The government wants Britain to become a world leader in wave and marine technologies, creating renewable energy jobs.
It was one of the sectors where the government had identified Britain had an advantage and it was to support.
"We have to make everything to support that sector. That's what we are doing with marine."
Last week, the government announced it would provide 405 million pounds ($600 million) to support emerging low-carbon technology, such as marine and tidal energy, as part of its efforts to reduce its carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050 from 1990 levels.
But the government's Marine Renewable Development Fund (MRDF) has been criticized for being too strict in selecting projects to spur sector growth.
Only full-scale projects that have collected data from three-months operating at sea qualify for support from the 50-million pound ($74.19 million) fund which was set up three years ago.
Commercial scale wave and tidal devices were only put into operation for the first time last year and there none with a full 3-months of data because of bad sea conditions.
The British Wind Energy Association(BWEA) welcomed the government move.
"It will open Britain's coast line and estuaries to clean, green energy that will help power a low carbon economy," it said.
(Editing by Keiron Henderson)
