The extent to which the wave and tidal energy sectors will meet their 2020 objectives will be in direct proportion to the political will to advance existing technologies, according to a study by the Strategic Initiative for Ocean Energy (SI Ocean). SI Ocean is a two-year, EU-supported project that aims to deliver a common strategy to ensure maximum wave and tidal installed capacity by 2020.
The Wave & Tidal Energy Strategic Technology Agenda was produced by three SI Ocean partners: the Joint Research Centre - the European Commission’s in-house science service, the University of Edinburgh and The Carbon Trust (an organisation that aims to help accelerate the move to a sustainable, low-carbon economy). The report provides a review of the current technological and economic trends in the wave and tidal energy sectors along with an overview of the issues hindering the sectors’ development. It also identifies a number of mechanisms, under a two-pronged strategy of ‘technological development’ and ‘deployment and risk reduction’, which would drive the sector forward towards full-scale commercialisation and competitiveness with other energy sources. These mechanisms focus on demonstrating existing technologies and developing technological solutions for the future.
The study, which is the is the second in a trilogy of reports from the SI Ocean project, found that the development of these technologies will depend on overcoming existing barriers to technological progression. The success of these technologies will also require that the different actors involved find the right balance of cooperation and competition, and that specific funds and policies to support the sector's growth are made available. The final SI Ocean report - Market Deployment Strategy - is due this May.
“With the correct level of policies and support in place, ocean energy can become a big European success story over the next decade,” said Dr Sian George, Chair of the SI Ocean Advisory Board and CEO of Ocean Energy Europe, adding that the report had been widely welcomed by the industry and would be used as an important building block by the Technology and Innovation Platform for Ocean Energy (TIP Ocean) and the Ocean Energy Forum.
The full report can be found at:
http://www.si-ocean.eu/en/Technology-Assessment/Strategic-Technology-Agenda/