The last two years have been eventful for ocean energy development, with several commercial "firsts", encouraging demonstration projects. The industry is now blazing the trail with the first commercial projects. The United Kingdom, Specifically Scotland, is emerging as a global leader in developing the technology, with government backing.

The UK has the ocean energy resources, a long relationship with the sea and outstanding inventive talent. After sea trials starting in 2004, the first major commercial installation of the Pelamis Wave Energy Converter took place in Portuguese waters, and wave energy came to life.

The report outlines these technologies, with their state of development as technologies and
industries. The report focuses on a small number of exciting new developments.The status of each industry is described in each country where it has a base or is under trial, and the state of commercialisation.

A key fact now emerging is the need to transfer technology and know-how from the offshore industry to the new marine renewable energy industry. The offshore oil and gas industry has already contributed substantially to the development of offshore wind power technology (See Wind Report). No country is better equipped to exploit this than the UK.

It is also becoming clear to many companies in the offshore oil & gas industry that with resource depletion, their future lies in a capability to diversify their skills and services into other business sectors, one being off-shore renewable energy sources. This synchronicity is a key driver to the development of ocean energy conversion.


Pages: 89
Publication Date: January 2009
Publisher: ABS Energy Research