UK government grant promotes wave and tidal energy development

Four organizations joined forces to develop wave and tidal renewable energy in response to a £50 million grant from the UK government, the UK Department of Trade and Industry reported.

Sept. 10, 2004

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Sept. 10 -- Four organizations joined forces to develop wave and tidal renewable energy in response to a £50 million grant from the UK government, the UK Department of Trade and Industry reported.

Three are in Scotland: the University of Edinburgh, Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, and the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney. The fourth is the UK-based New and Renewable Energy Centre in Northumberland.

The partners formed the UK Centre for Marine Renewable Energy. The partnership aims to establish a research, development, test, and certification base to help the emerging marine energy industry provide renewable energy from naturally occurring wave and tidal movements.

UK Minister for Energy Stephen Timms said, "This partnership offers a real forward facing group that can facilitate the development of a sustainable marine renewable energy industry."

Researchers looking for alternative sources of energy are exploring a variety of options, including wave and tidal energy, biomass, solar, and wind.

One of the four organizations recorded some milestones earlier this summer.

The EMEC officially opened on Aug. 10. EMEC, an independent wave energy testing facility, tested a wave-electricity generating device named Pelamis that is owned by Ocean Power Delivery, Edinburgh. Pelamis is a Greek word meaning sea snake.