Renew On Line (UK) 31

Extracts from the May-June 2001 edition of Renew
These extracts only represent about 25% of it

Wave and Tidal review

The House of Commons Select Committee on Science and Technology is carrying out a review of the prospects for wave power and tidal stream energy. The aim is "to inquire into, and examine, wave and non-barrier tidal energy in the UK ," with particular reference to issues such as - will they become technologically and commercially viable in the near future? It also asks what role should wave and tidal energy have in the Government's renewable energy strategy - should they get a higher priority?

The DTI set the scene by at long last admitting that, ‘with the benefit of hindsight’, the decision to discontinue the Government's wave energy R & D programme in 1994 ‘was a mistake’

The committee has been taking evidence from all the key players, including Prof. Stephen Salter from Edinburgh University and Prof. Peter Fraenkel from IT Power. The OU Energy and Environment Research Unit (EERU) submitted evidence arguing that both these options have been woefully neglected with the funding level for tidal current technology in particular being negligible. Certainly, a lot more money will have to allocated to both of these technologies if they are to achieve even the limited contribution suggested in the scenarios included in the recent report on Climate Change and UK Energy Policy produced by the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution. That suggested that by 2050 there could be 7.5GW of installed wave energy generating capacity and just 500MW of tidal stream capacity. The latter seems pathetic, given that the potential for tidal streams has been put at 19% of UK electricity. But even attaining 500MW will take a concerted effort - and proper funding.

For details of the Review see: http://www.parliament.uk/commons/selcom/s&thome.hm

The report should be out in early May.

Wave power and the Scottish Renewable Obligation

The recent consultation on the Renewable Obligation Scotland (ROS) raised the issue of whether Wave Power gets capital support from the Scottish Executive, as in the old SRO, and whether waste incineration plants will be eligible for Renewable Energy certification under ROS. They are not in the new RO for England and Wales. The risk is that, if Scotland chooses differently, then Renewable Obligation Certificates will be ring-fenced in Scotland, and it couldn’t export surplus renewable electricity to England.