This week we were delighted to welcome GB Energy to North Wales for a roundtable discussion with key stakeholders from across the tidal energy sector, followed by a visit to the Morlais project on Ynys Môn.
The session convened voices from Welsh Government, The Crown Estate, the Marine Energy Council, Menter Môn Morlais, Orbital Marine Power, Hydrowing, QED Naval, Tidal Technologies, and ORE Catapult. Each offered a grounded, forward-looking perspective on how to accelerate deployment, strengthen UK supply chains, and anchor long-term value in coastal communities.
Encouragingly, GB Energy reaffirmed their ambition to become a developer in time, with an immediate focus on co-investing in innovative, high-potential technologies like tidal stream. Their blended investment approach – combining grants, loans and equity – signals a commitment not just to projects, but to the wider enabling conditions: port infrastructure, skills, supply chains, and social impact.
Crucially, GB Energy also recognised the need for strategic coordination, backing calls for a UK Government-led Marine Energy Taskforce. With the right structures in place, we can move beyond fragmented progress and begin to scale – with pace and purpose.
With the GBE Bill progressing through Parliament and full funding anticipated by April 2026, momentum is building. We’re proud to be part of the conversation – and part of the solution.
Our Project Manager, Jay Sheppard who facilitated the visit said:
“It was a real pleasure to welcome GB Energy to Ynys Môn and spend the day in conversation with some of the most committed and experienced voices in tidal energy. There’s a quiet persistence in this sector – decades of innovation, collaboration, and belief – and it feels like that patience is starting to pay off. With the right kind of strategic support, from organisations like GB Energy, tidal stream can move from the margins to the mainstream – delivering predictable power, anchoring UK supply chains, and creating long-term value for communities like ours.”
