last
updated 3rd February 06
By 4ecotips.com
Carbon Trust
report says Britain can rule the waves
BWEA, the UK's renewable energy trade
association which champions the wind
and marine renewables industry has
welcomes a new report published by
the Carbon Trust on the opportunities
for Britain's marine renewables industry.
The results of the Marine Energy
Challenge show that wave and tidal
power could provide as much as 20%
of the country's current electricity
needs and become cost-competitive
with other types of energy generation
in the long term.
Coming days after the UK government
launches a review of energy policy,
this is an encouraging message, echoed
by BWEA chief executive Marcus Rand:
"The report provides report provides
important impetus behind the vision
that Britain can rule the waves and
tides, making a significant dent in
our carbon emissions alongside creating
new world class industries for UK
plc.
"With the government's Energy
Review shining a spotlight on future
energy policy this influential report
has been published at a critical time.
The findings confirm that marine energy
has a major role to play in providing
20% of the nation's power in a secure
and low carbon way. Importantly it
lays down the challenge to government
and industry to provide the appropriate
levels of public and private sector
support over the coming years to ensure
this vision becomes a reality.
"As a nation we must urgently
pick up this challenge as evidence
from the wind sector shows where long-term
support is provided the costs of power
generation can be reduced significantly
and the multiple environmental and
economic benefits can be harnessed.
"
The Challenge, a £3 million,
18-month programme, brought together
device developers and engineering
consultants in order to assess the
costs and performance of marine renewables
today. In parallel it looked to find
whether or not the future costs of
wave and tidal stream electricity
could be reduced to become cost-competitive
with other renewables and conventional
generation in the future and what
contribution to UK energy supply they
could provide.
The results of the Carbon Trust's
Marine Energy Challenge are the first
in a series of activities that will
raise the profile of this growth sector
for UK. Next on the agenda is BWEA's
upcoming marine renewable energy conference,
to be held at The Sage Gateshead next
Wednesday 8th February 2006.
Other events during 2006 at listed
at www.bwea.com
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