Wave and tidal included in Strategic Environmental Assessment
Thursday 04 March 2010
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| The SEA is set to highlight potential sites for wave and tidal projects |
Plans to include wave and tidal in an assessment of future offshore development prospects in England and Wales for the first time have been unveiled by energy and climate change minister David Kidney today (March 4).
Speaking at the RenewableUK (formerly BWEA) Wave and Tidal Conference, Mr Kidney stressed that the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) would look to balance development prospects with environmental concerns.
The proposals would extend a scoping study by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC)In April last year, which it commissioned to enable it to draw up a plan for future deployment of commercially-viable offshore devices (see this NewEnergyFocus.com story).
DECC is set to produce an environmental report for public consultation by the end of the year, which it said would enable The Crown Estate to then look at more commercial leasing opportunities in England and Wales for wave and tidal, but also the storage of carbon dioxide and further offshore wind and oil and gas activities.
Mr Kidney told delegates that the full SEA would be a "catalyst" for transforming the industry from a research and development level to commercialisation by providing a stable background for investors.
He said the government was keen to tap into the potential highlighted by RenewableUK's Budget proposal, also released today, which stated that by 2050, UK wave and tidal could have a capacity or more than 29GW, pull in revenues of £4.2 billion per year and employ 43,500 people (see this NewEnergyFocus.com story).
He said: "The exercise I'm launching today will help us identify opportunities for new development, whilst taking into account any possible impacts on the marine environment.
"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."
Wales
The news was welcomed by Welsh Environment minister, Jane Davidson, who said that the Welsh Assembly Government had "big marine energy aspirations" and anticipated ramping up its use of wave and tidal stream power by 2025.
She said: "Today's announcement marks a significant step forward, moving us closer towards harnessing the vast potential energy from our seas and securing a renewable and low carbon energy supply for Wales and the UK."
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