Marine energy to compete with nuclear and onshore wind by 2025

A new report published today by the Carbon Trust suggests UK marine energy sites could generate electricity at costs comparable with nuclear and onshore wind.

The report shows that wave energy could generate up to 50TWh of electricity per year, which is equivalent to 13% of the UK's power needs. With continued and targeted innovation, the Trust believes future marine energy could provide a fifth of the UK's electricity needs by 2025. "Marine energy is one of the UK's most exciting green growth sectors and one where we have a real lead," said Benj Sykes, director of innovations at Carbon Trust. "Wave and tidal stream could provide a fifth of our electricity needs and be a major 'made in Britain' success." Sykes belives the key industry players must now pull together to tackle the next set of challenges and innovate to drive down costs. "Our Marine Energy Accelerator, working with key industry players and government, has shown that savings of tens of millions of pounds are possible," he concluded. The full report can be downloaded below.