There are substantial maritime wind, wave and tidal energy resources distributed around the world.  The principal regions are Western Europe, the west coasts of North and South America, Australia, China, New Zealand and Russia.  Of these Western Europe offers the greatest potential and economic opportunity.

This presentation gives an overview of the technologies and the commercial opportunities they present with a particular focus on the wind, wave and tidal energy potential around the British Isles.

The UK Government is moving forward rapidly with licensing large offshore areas for multiple wind farm developments.  The large horizontal axis wind turbines used within these farms are now becoming an established technology.  These offshore wind farms are attracting very substantial investments with the attendant risks and opportunities.  In parallel with this, there are very many wave and tidal power devices and schemes in various stages of development ranging from devices in the water producing power now through to recent ‘inventions’ that have not had much technical development or commercial evaluation.  It is inevitable that over the next decade, there will be a significant rationalization with many tidal and wave power devices and schemes failing and being abandoned and a few of these emerging as winners with significant market share.  As the technology develops, attention is inevitably focused on their commercial performance with competitive pricing, investment levels and revenue streams becoming more important.

There is a high level of commitment within the European Union and the UK to increase the share of the contribution of power from maritime renewable devices.  This has led to investment, government support and a high level of activity that is both technically and commercially exciting.  This presentation gives an overview of the prospects and opportunities that are emerging. 

Professor Minoo Patel Cranfield University (minoo.patel@cranfield.ac.uk)