Committee to urge UK government to increase support to wave power

A new report on the renewable energy, prepared by members of parliament, will urge the UK government to increase its support for wave and tidal power, without which the UK would be at risk of repeating mistakes that allowed the country to lose its early lead in the developing wind power industry.

MPs on the Commons' Energy and Climate Change Committee (ECC) today are set to release a report on the future of marine renewables, which would claim that the UK could become a leading exporter of wave and tidal power equipment and expertise if the government were to adopt a more visionary approach towards marine energy development.

Of the eight full-scale prototype devices installed worldwide, seven are in the UK waters making the country the current world leader in the development of wave and tidal energy technologies.

The government has also realised the potential of marine power, estimated at 27GW of capacity in the UK by 2050, which is largely expected to be deployed after 2020.

However, according to the report, if the UK were to adopt an overly risk averse approach to deployment it might allow other less risk-averse countries step in to the detriment of Britain.

Meanwhile, industry remains concerned that government's proposals for subsidies for marine and tidal energy only extend to 2017, leaving sector's long-term future uncertain.