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Marine Renewable Energy

BWEA has championed the UK wind industry for over 25 years, which has seen the technology transformed from an academic curiosity to mainstream generation. In the coming decades renewable energy's share of UK generation will rise rapidly, increasing the need for a portfolio of renewable energy technologies to provide electricity alongside wind. Marine renewable technologies are at the same stage wind was 10-15 years ago, and much of our membership have interests in both sectors. For these reasons BWEA has expanded its mission to champion wave and tidal energy and use its experience to guide them along the same path to commercialisation.

The UK has the best wave and tidal resource in Europe, an asset that has the potential to provide a considerable proportion of the UK power market in years to come. Coupled with this is a strong history of innovation that has produced some of the leading marine energy devices in the world today. These devices face a number of challenges before they can meet their potential and reach large-scale commercialisation ahead of their global competition, but the rewards will be great.

Supporting innovation early is the key to developing a globally competitive manufacturing industry in renewable energy, as Denmark and Germany have learnt from their experiences of wind energy. The UK is now fully committed to developing the next generation of commercial renewable energy technologies in the emerging wave and tidal energy market.