The UK wave and tidal sector would benefit from a taskforce supported by industry and the government to help drive forward technology development, according to new report from the National Subsea Research Initiative.
The ‘Wave and Tidal Transformation’ report is backed by the Scottish government spells out the steps the UK needs to take to retain a leadership role in developing and commercialising wave and tidal energy technologies.
A taskforce could also promote knowledge sharing and have stewardship over the strategic direction for the industry, it said.
Scottish energy minister Paul Wheelhouse said: “With our supportive policy environment, skilled supply chain and expertise in energy innovation, Scotland is the natural home for marine energy development and well placed to benefit from the enormous global market for wave and tidal energy.”
The report also highlights the outcomes from a recent NSRI workshop, where the initiative partnered with the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult and Energy Technology Partnership on research into the wave and tidal sectors.
Outcomes included identification of complementary operational areas that the subsea oil and gas could help with, such as materials and corrosion, installation and integrity management.