News
The climate can't wait for change
Thursday 15th March 2007
As the Government today launches its draft Marine Bill the offshore renewables industry expresses the need for effective implementation of a clear and efficient planning process that will allow for the delivery of the only technologies available to deliver 20% renewable electricity for the UK by 2020.
 It is vital that Government uses this opportunity to commit itself to facilitating the development of offshore wind, wave and tidal stream energy projects. It must explicitly state that climate change and, more specifically, measures to reduce carbon emissions will be priority activities in the marine environment. Government must make tough decisions where conflicts arise and ensure, across all departments, that problems are addressed quickly. Indeed the Marine Bill will have to facilitate such solutions to the development of offshore renewables efficiently if this country is to rise to the challenge of reducing carbon emissions from the power sector.
If addressing climate change continues to be a priority policy there can be little wavering on the delivery of this outcome. However it is equally important that, en route, Government does not forget the immediate need to drive the offshore renewables market through the delivery of wind projects that are passing through the present system and wave and tidal stream projects that are approaching it, as well as those that will follow before the Bill finally becomes an Act. Any hiatus created by the passing of this Bill will only add to the many levels of uncertainty presented by issues such as market support mechanism reforms and the global demand for technology.
 BWEA will continue to engage positively with DEFRA, and other departments, to ensure the concerns and expectations of the offshore renewables industry are fully recognized and dealt with in a timely manner. Unfortunately climate change will not wait the many years it has taken this Bill to leave the drawing board, confront its issues and find itself a Parliamentary slot. It requires decisive action and commitment now. There can be no greater priority.
Maria McCaffery MBE, CEO of BWEA stated:
"This is a huge piece of legislation that Government has to get right first time. Any delays in the planning process for offshore renewables caused by its implementation will only result in the failure of this country to meet its renewable energy targets. We need a clear transition into a simpler and more streamlined system as quickly as possible, and we need Government to take the tough decisions necessary to ensure that carbon reduction is given the priority it deserves in marine policy."
In addition, WWF and the British Wind Energy Association have issued a brief joint statement on the Marine Bill White Paper
UK marine renewables overview
- The UK is leading the world in offshore wind energy development and wave and tidal stream technology innovation
- The UK’s offshore wind programme could deliver over 9% of the UK’s electricity by 2020; wave and tidal could provide almost 2% in this time
- Renewables are the only sure carbon free sources of energy that can be built and producing electricity by 2020, the planning process is however key to ensure this happens
- In the longer term, the Carbon Trust estimates that wave and tidal stream could deliver 20% of the UK’s electricity requirements
- The Carbon Trust states that the wave and tidal stream industry could be worth £600 million - £4.2 billion annually to the UK economy by 2050, whilst also delivering significant carbon reductions
Offshore wind, wave and tidal stream require a suitable market support mechanism in order to deliver this potential, and one that differentiates between the differing costs of these technologies today
- Almost 300 of the senior industry, investor and policy figures in the wave and tidal energy sector will be gathering at the QEII Centre in Westminster on Thursday 15th March at BWEA's fourth annual conference for the sector, the largest of it's kind in the world. Further information at www.bwea.com/marine/conference.html.
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