Marine Energy Wales welcomes the recent announcements from Minesto, Morlais and ORE Catapult as positive indicators of the growing Welsh industry.
Last week saw important news releases from three major companies in the marine renewable energy sector, all of which are resulting in positive impacts for the Welsh economy.
Welsh Government confirmed their continued support for marine energy by awarding €14.9 million of EU funding to Minesto for the next phase of their tidal energy project in Holyhead Deep. The investment will enable the commercial development of the project in Wales with a planned expansion towards an 80MW tidal energy farm. It will also support the growth of the manufacturing and assembly capacity in Anglesey, leading to an increase in skilled jobs linked to this low carbon industry.
There has been good news for Morlais too, as Canadian company Big Moon Power has become the latest developer to sign up to a berth in the tidal energy demonstration zone off the west cost of Anglesey. During the announcement, both parties highlighted their commitment to ensuring the development benefits the local community of Anglesey, by utilising the natural tidal resource to create a thriving industry.
Looking south, Pembrokeshire is benefiting from an influx of employment opportunities currently being advertised by the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult. ORE Catapult is creating a Marine Energy Engineering Centre of Excellence (MEECE) in Pembroke Dock, which will work with Welsh Universities to deliver innovation projects on behalf of developers. The aim is to demonstrate, verify and validate new technologies, whilst accelerating supply chain growth. Six roles are currently being advertised to deliver MEECE.
Commenting on the increase in activity in Wales, David Jones, Project Director of Marine Energy Wales, said, “These new announcements show that the marine energy sector is continuing to grow in Wales, based on the Welsh Government’s commitment to developing a new low carbon industry. Whether the UK holds onto its global lead will ultimately depend on the UK Government’s ambition to support homegrown innovative technology and socio-economic activity in peripheral coastal regions.”