Plans for the first full UK Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for wave and tidal energy have been announced by the Government. The SEA — which will also pave the way for storage of carbon dioxide, and further offshore wind and oil and gas activities — is expected to ensure that environmental concerns are addressed as the UK’s offshore energy resources are developed further.
“I am keen that we get as much of our energy as we can from home-grown sources, and our seas are a fantastic asset that can help us do this in a number of ways," Energy and Climate Change Minister David Kidney told the Renewable UK Wave and Tidal Conference this week. "The exercise I’m launching will help us identify opportunities for new development, whilst taking into account any possible impacts on the marine environment.
“And by including wave and tidal in this assessment for the first time, we’re laying the foundations for commercial deployment of these technologies. This SEA and our forthcoming Marine Action Plan, alongside our other support measures, will create the kind of investor certainty that will help us maintain our position as world leaders in marine energy technology.”
And Maria McCaffery, RenewableUK's Chief Executive, said: "This is excellent news for the UK's green energy sector, especially the wave and tidal power industry. RenewableUK's analysis shows that up to 2 gigawatts of wave and tidal capacity could be installed by 2020 — enough to power 1.4 million UK homes."
