NOT ALL AT SEA market . Renewable energy firms aren ’ t the only ones hoping to get turbines in the water . Diversified organisations interested in producing clean energy for large-scale industrial processes — including Rolls Royce , French rail giants Alstom and locally-based Scotrenewables — have all trialled marine energy prototypes at EMEC ’ s facilities .
“ It ’ s quite a market and we ’ re in something of a race at the moment to find the country that will first crack the technology and be in a position to sell it into the global market ,” Kermode says .
The turbine which eventually makes its way to large-scale production must be efficient , reliable and flexible , capable of operating in a variety of marine environments with minimal maintenance needs . The developer who finally does ‘ crack ’ the market must also set its sights far beyond domestic application of marine energy .
“ There are communities around the world that are running on diesel generators : a lot of island communities in the South Pacific and isolated areas down the coast of Chile ,” Kermode says . “ Those places have electricity costs four of five times higher than the
UK ’ s , so those markets may become economic before the UK does .”
In the coming years , Kermode predicts that the prototypes going into the sea at EMEC will be more advanced and adaptable . Across the globe , there are likely to be more small-scale projects being installed and used to generate electricity in earnest . As for the UK , Kermode can ’ t say exactly when marine energy will supply 20 percent of the country ’ s electricity :
“ It depends on how desperately we need the power and how seriously we choose to decarbonise ,” he says .
“ Because capital follows successful projects , it about helping to foster these technologies at the smaller scales so that they can actually prove themselves . That means the market will then choose which way it wants to deliver energy and we want to make sure it picks marine as one of those ways of doing it ,” he explains .
“ Wave and tidal energy has lowcarbon impact , low environmental impact and a high recirculation of capital into the local economy . We ’ re sure it is going to get picked , it just has to prove its worth .”
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