OES Annual Report 2012 - Ocean Energy Systems

30
UNITED KINGDOM
Karen Dennis
Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC)
INTRODUCTION
The UK wave and tidal industry continues to receive significant support from the UK Government and the
Devolved Administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The mechanism for supporting the
industry is channelled through the UK Marine Energy Programme which was implemented in 2010. This
programme is aimed at enhancing the UK marine energy sector’s ability to develop and deploy wave and
tidal energy devices at a commercial scale by concentrating on key areas that affect the sector such as:
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Support needed for small scale arrays and early commercial deployment;
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Planning and consenting issues;
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Island transmission charging
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Knowledge sharing
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Marine energy in the reformed energy market.
The conclusion of the UK Government’s and the Scottish Government’s consultation on the level of
incentives available for wave and tidal energy generation through the Renewable Obligation banding
reviews was published in July 2012. Both Governments have confirmed the incentives for wave and tidal
stream at 5 ROCs per MWh for projects up to 30MW capacity from 2013-2017.
In addition, the UK Government £20 million Marine Energy Array Demonstrator (MEAD) and the £18 million
Scottish Government’s Marine Commercialisation Fund (MRCF) will provide capital grant to support the
deployment of array schemes by 2016. Competition for these schemes is now closed and announcement
of awards will be made in the coming weeks. The Scottish Government also announced a £103 million
Renewable Energy Investment Fund (REIF) which will mainly focus on marine energy.
During the year, thirteen (13) different prototype technologies underwent trials simultaneously in the waters
off Orkney at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC). EMEC continues to attract international interest
and has secured contract for all its full-scale berths well into the next few years.
In May 2012, the National Renewable Energy Centre (Narec) officially opened its 3MW marine drive test rig
“Nautilus”. It aims to perform accelerated lifetime testing of whole nacelles and their individual drive train
components such as gearboxes, generators and bearings for tidal devices. Atlantis Resources was the first
to commission the Nautilus to test its 1MW AR1000 in the summer.
OCEAN ENERGY POLICY
Strategy and National Targets
The UK Renewable Energy Road Map sets out the Government objectives on energy from renewable
sources leading up to 2020. First array demonstration projects are envisioned to be deployed by 2016 with
assistance from the MEAD, MRCF and other funding schemes such as the European Commission NER 300.
Projections are that commercial scale deployment will then increase through the second half of the decade,
reaching in the order of 200 – 300 MW by 2020.
ANNUAL
REPORT 2012