Marine Action Plan

The UK Renewable Energy Strategy, published in July 2009, set out acommitment to developing a Marine Energy Action Plan.The objective is to set out a vision for the Marine Energy sector to 2030 (with reference to 2020), outlining the actions required by both industry and the public sector to facilitate the development and deployment of marine energy technology and fulfil that vision.

The Government recognises the need to work with the wave and tidal sector, to set out the way in which we can make the mainstream deployment of wave and tidal technologies a reality in the coming decade.  A range of key stakeholders from across Government, industry and the wider relevant bodies were invited to participate in an Action Plan Steering Group. The membership will be published once it has been finally confirmed. They will form the key partners in helping us develop and deliver the Action Plan.

The first formal output of the Action Plan was launched on 15 March 2010 at Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland, home of the 1.2MW SeaGen turbine - the world’s first operating, commercial-scale tidal stream turbine.

The Marine Energy Action Plan 2010 Executive Summary and Recommendations

- which has been developed by Government jointly with industry - sets out the actions needed to drive the marine energy sector forward.

Key recommendations include:

• Forming a UK-wide strategic coordination group to develop a planning and consenting roadmap for all types of marine renewables;
• Consideration of support levels for marine technologies under the review of banding of the Renewables Obligation in Autumn;
• Ensuring that the appropriate levels of targeted funding are available to bridge the technology market failures that exist in this developing sector, subject to the budgets in the next public spending round;
• Leveraging private equity, and in the longer term, project capital into the sector;
• Establishing guidelines and best practice in the development of new technologies; and
• Building a UK marine energy supply chain and utilising the current skills base already established from the offshore wind, oil and gas, and maritime industries.

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It is also DECC’s intention to publish, in draft form, a longer-form document which will give more background to the work of the Action Plan working groups and give more detail behind the recommendations in the Executive Summary and Recommendations.

This will be available from this page in the near future.

DECC is also carrying out a number of complementary studies which will be available here in due course.

The Marine Energy Action Plan is an ongoing initiative and further work will be carried out, building on the issues raised in the Marine Energy Action Plan 2010 Executive Summary and Recommendations. DECC is keen that as wide a range of organisations have the opportunity to contribute their expertise to the ongoing work on the Action Plan and would encourage those interesting in being involved to contact us (email: alan.morgan@decc.gsi.gov.uk).

The Marine Energy Action Plan was launched on 23 September 2009 at the first Marine Energy Action Plan Steering Group meeting and set out the context for the Action Plan which would set out the actions required by both private and public sector to facilitate the development and deployment of marine energy technology. The Steering Group agreed the Terms of Reference of the Action Plan and set up four work streams to develop the findings of the Marine Energy Action Plan. 

• Note of the first Marine Energy Action Plan Steering Group Meeting

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Background to the Marine Energy Action Plan

The Action Plan is wide ranging and looks at the full range of challenges, barriers and opportunities facing the wave and tidal sector. We are proposing to divide the work into a number of separate work streams. These will include: 

Financing & Funding:

We anticipate that this will cover a range of issues including:

• The funding landscape – identifying any gaps in public funding support.
• Leveraging private capital into the sector - what steps and changes are needed to develop confidence in potential equity investors?
• Project funding (at demonstration and deployment phases) – how can the sector’s ability to raise project finance, particularly for early arrays be enhanced? How can the mainstream finance sector be encouraged to prepare for engagement in the sector once commercial deployment or arrays begins?
• Revenue support for wave & tidal technologies: in particular through the Renewables Obligation.
• Is there a stronger role for Government Investment or other intervention models? For example:
  • Through equity/mezzanine/debt finance
  • Through public procurement?
  • Other models? 

Marine technology roadmap:

We envisage this workstream considering the work which has been done to date on setting out a vision for the technology development/deployment profile of the sector and using this to create a timeline onto which other key non-technology milestones can be mapped. This could include activities such as:

• Updating the existing UKERC technology roadmap with input from similar work carried out by the Energy Technologies Institute, Carbon Trust, BWEA, REA and other bodies.
• Update assumptions of when multi device/commercial arrays will be deployed in UK waters
• Consider any further actions necessary to enable technical viability of enough devices to meet demand.

Developing infrastructure to necessary for growth of the sector:

We envisage this work stream comprising two parallel sub-work streams covering the development of skills and supply chain and physical infrastructure such as grid, ports etc.

These sub-work streams are likely to include: 

Availability of supply chain and skills:

This sub-work stream will consider how we can ensure the development and availability of a UK-based skills and supply chain, allowing the UK to maximise the economic benefits arising from device development through deployment to the ongoing operation and maintenance of marine energy systems. The sub-work stream will consider what actions will be needed to develop this supply chain/skills base. Including: 

• Installation & maintenance vessels and other service infrastructure
• Manufacturing facilities/ consultancy services
• Skills, training and leveraging in expertise from other/related sectors

Physical Infrastructure:

How to ensure the timely availability of the necessary physical infrastructure to facilitate growth of the wave and tidal sector. This will include areas such as:

• Test Centres – are there any gaps in the UK testing facilities capabilities
• Ports/harbours – are facilities suitable and how can they be developed to address medium-longer term demand?
• Other – Manufacturing facilities / transport logistics for components and devices
• Grid (NB this will build on work being carried out by the DECC Future Networks Team)
  • Where are grid connections available
  • Future development of the grid
  • How to get grid connected – issues with the “grid queue”
  • Projections of likely demands from the sector

Planning, Consenting, Licensing and Environmental Issues:

This is likely to include topics such as:

•  Strategic Environmental Assessments, Environmental Impact Assessments
• Planning Issues, both offshore and onshore
• Crown Estate – strategy for leasing the seabed for marine energy
• Operation of the IPC/MMO and developing a UK marine National Policy Statement
• Environmental monitoring – what levels of monitoring are reasonable at different phases of development of the sector. How can a balance be struck between application of the precautionary principle and the need to develop the sector/test the practical effects of marine energy devices on the environment?

It will set out the key steps which need to be taken by both Government and Industry to make the mass deployment of marine energy technologies a reality. It will look at the barriers which exist to deployment of marine energy and what needs to be done to overcome these – including what levels of support are necessary for the sector, including the issue of ROCs. 

We are intending that the Marine Energy Action Plan should be published for public consultation early in the first quarter of next year. To produce a document, to such a short timescale, which provides a clear route through to the development and commercial deployment of wave and tidal technologies will require a strong input from key players across the public and private sector.

Our vision is that the Action Plan will form a basis for ongoing action from both Government and the Private Sector. In setting out the main barriers to development of the sector and a consensus view on how these should be addressed it should act as a practical guide on how the environmental and economic benefits of marine energy can be realised.

However, the Action Plan is not a once-and-for-all-time project.   We intend to update it periodically over the coming years to allow for progress and developments in the sector.

Marine Energy Action Plan - draft terms of reference (Revised 16 October 2009)

The Marine Energy Action Plan will set out an agreed vision for the marine energy sector to 2030, with reference to 2020, and outline the actions required by both private and public sectors to facilitate the development and deployment of marine energy technology and fulfil the vision set out in the UK Renewable Energy Strategy and Low Carbon Industrial Strategy. Covering wave, tidal range and tidal stream energy, the Action Plan will have a UK-wide focus while respecting the diversity of policy making powers under the Devolution Settlement. It will address:

• The development of a UK-based supply sector and the steps that need to be taken to progress the sector from a largely SME capability to an industry able to attract substantial investment and deliver major deployment projects and maximise economic benefits for the UK;

• Building long-term manufacturing and technological capability in the UK to develop technically and commercially viable marine energy systems to meet demand in the medium and long term;
• The need for marine energy generation systems to climb down the cost-curve through activities such as demonstration and deployment, continuing research and development and manufacturing economies of scale.
• The framework of Government support for wave and tidal demonstration and deployment (pre-commercial through to large-scale deployment)[1], including the level and availability of grants, loans, capital provision, and revenue support through the Renewables Obligation that would provide most cost effective means of helping the growth in the marine energy sector in the medium to long term future;
• The availability of an effective support infrastructure, for example: grid, transport logistics, port & harbour facilities, manufacturing facilities and test facilities at NaREC, EMEC and the proposed Wave Hub;
• Barriers to deployment and how to overcome them (for example, grid availability, development of a supply chain and sector skills);
• The access to deployment opportunities in UK waters, including leasing of the seabed, Strategic Environmental Assessment, planning (both onshore and offshore) and consenting processes and regulatory requirements;
• Roles of industry, Government (nationally and regionally), its agencies, and others in delivering the Action Plan, including public procurement opportunities.

The Plan will be produced by DECC, working in consultation with industry, the investment community, and delivery partners including the Carbon Trust, ETI, TSB, Crown Estate, other Government departments and devolved and regional government.