News
Marine Bill balancing act must safeguard UK's offshore renewable energy strengths
Defra launches consultation on Marine Bill
Wednesday 29 March 2006
BWEA was today cautiously optimistic on the opportunities presented in the Marine Bill Consultation paper to help offshore renewable energy projects come forward quicker and with greater certainty.
As well as protecting the UK’s unique marine environment BWEA believes this significant piece of legislation must also help safeguard the UK’s unique offshore energy strengths in its winds, waves and tides. However it stressed that any such framework must be complemented by increased Government support for offshore renewables to help unlock the potential for carbon free energy production from our seas.
The representative body for offshore renewable energy in the UK believes the Bill must have sustainable development at its core and deliver a flexible and adaptive system of marine spatial planning. It must also ensure that an efficient process for dealing with offshore renewable energy projects allows them to be developed in areas that combine adequate wind, wave or tidal resource with onshore grid capacity.
It is vital that this legislation does not add a new layer of bureaucracy to what is already a complex system for developers and conservation groups alike, or create greater uncertainty for an industry in its infancy. This would only lead to the UK losing out in its present position at the forefront of the growing offshore renewable energy sector and potentially to it substantially missing its targets for renewable energy generation in the future.
Michael Hay, Marine Renewables Development Manager at BWEA, said:
“BWEA welcomes the thrust of this consultation, however we believe that the key strategic importance of our vast offshore renewable energy resources must be fully recognised in the formulation of any new Bill and in increased Government support for their development.
The UK has the best offshore wind, wave and tidal energy resources in Europe and the skills base to build a significant industry for a global market. Given our present position as market leader, particularly in wave and tidal energy, it is vital that projects are able to enter the water as efficiently as possible in areas that provide excellent potential for power production. This, of course, means working with other stakeholders in the marine environment to ensure minimal conflict and maximum confidence in developments. The outcomes of this consultation must ensure this can occur more effectively.
With climate change increasingly being regarded as the biggest threat to life in the marine environment the Bill must allow for offshore renewables, as carbon-free sources of energy, to realise their full potential.”
BWEA has been working constructively with a number of stakeholders on the pre-cursory work to the Marine Bill consultation launch including WWF.
Jan Brown, Senior Marine Officer, WWF stated:
“WWF is working with BWEA in calling for a strategic planning system in our seas which will bring a balanced and efficient approach for conservation and the development of renewables. This will provide a win-win situation for the environment in the long-term.”
For more information from BWEA please contact:
Michael Hay
Marine Renewables Development Manager, BWEA
t: 020 7689 1937
m: 07939 519 242
e: michael@bwea.com
For further information from WWF, please contact:
David Cowdrey
t: 01483 412378
m: 07776 177654
e: dcowdrey@wwf.org.uk
Notes to editors
Defra today launched its consultation on a Marine Bill for the UK on how to develop new laws affecting the marine area. The consultation covers four key areas: planning in the marine area, licensing marine activities, how to take forward marine nature conservation proposals and the potential for a new marine management organisation. Full details at www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/marinebill/index.htm
BWEA
- With over 310 company members BWEA is the UK’s leading renewable energy trade association championing the wind, wave and tidal energy industries
- BWEA has drafted its position on the Marine Bill following over 12 months of discussions with industry, stakeholders and Government departments, available at www.bwea.com/marine/marinebill.html
Offshore wind
- BWEA will be launching it’s offshore wind deliverability expectations at its annual offshore wind conference on the 4th April 2006 in the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, Westminster. Full programme including online registration at www.bwea.com/offshore/conference.html. Limited places are available for accredited members of the press: contact Alison Hill, BWEA Head of Communications, on 020 7689 1966 or alison@bwea.com
- The UK has the largest programme of offshore wind development in the world which could deliver around 8,000 MW by 2015, the equivalent of over 5 million UK homes
- Presently there are three working offshore wind farms around the UK producing 210 MW of electricity, the equivalent of around 137,000 UK homes, with a fourth, the 90 MW Barrow project, currently undergoing final commissioning
- The UK was the only country in the world to build offshore wind farms in both 2004 and 2005, making the UK a pioneer in this sector
- For more information see www.bwea.com/offshore
Wave and tidal stream
- There are a large number of wave and tidal technologies being developed around the world to harness marine energy
- The UK is home to the leading technology developers in the world
- Presently only prototypes exist, the next stage is to develop the first wave and tidal energy multiple device projects
- In summer 2006 Portugal will develop the worlds first offshore wave project using 3 devices manufactured by UK firm Ocean Power Delivery in Scotland
- In August 2004 the DTI released £50m to help develop the UK’s first wave and tidal stream projects, this only became available for industry to apply for in late March 2006
- A recent report by the Carbon Trust stated that 20% of the UK’s electricity supply could come from wave and tidal stream energy, with 3% by 2020
- With its offshore engineering skills base and facilities the UK is well placed to create a significant industry for a growing global market
- BWEA will be launching a significant project in June on how the UK must act in order to bring wave and tidal energy to commercial reality
- For more information go to www.bwea.com/marine
WWF
WWF is now known simply by it's intials and the panda logo
- WWF has published a Draft Marine Bill to suggest how critical problems in the marine environment can be solved through improved legislation
- To find out more visit: http://www.wwf.org.uk/marineact
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