RenewableUK, the trade association for the wind, wave & tidal industry, has welcomed the announcement by Climate Change Minister Greg Barker of the UK’s first Marine Energy Park (MEP).
Covering an area stretching from Bristol to Cornwall as far as the Isles of Scilly, the MEP will be a partnership between local and national Government, Local Enterprise Partnerships, the Universities of Plymouth and Exeter, and the wave & tidal industry – including the Wave Hub testing facility off the coast of Cornwall.
RenewableUK’s Wave & Tidal Development Manager, David Krohn , said: “Marine energy has fantastic potential, not just as a clean power source, but as a boost to our economy too. Our research has shown that a properly supported marine sector could generate up to 15,000 jobs by 2021 and have a value to the UK of over £3.7 billion.
“The UK currently leads the world in wave & tidal development, and we have world-beating resources. We need to capitalise on this opportunity now, and the first Marine Energy Park represents an important first step in this process.”
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Offshore WIND staff, January 25, 2012