etc. Goes on to describe various options including lagoons, but endsExperts say Wales has huge potential for generating renewable marine power, yet, so far, ambitious schemes have been ignored
On the stunning and craggy coastline of Holy Island in north Wales, work has started on a construction project to generate energy from one of the world’s greatest untapped energy resources: tidal power.
The Morlais project, on the small island off the west of Anglesey has benefited from £31m in what is likely to be the last large grant for Wales from the European Union’s regional funding programme. It will install turbines at what will be one of the largest tidal stream energy sites in the world, covering 13 square miles of the seabed.
Gerallt Llewelyn Jones, a director of Morlais Energy, which is operated by Anglesey-based social enterprise Menter Môn, said: “We have strong tidal resources around Wales and they have huge potential.” Compared with wind and solar power, tidal was a more predictable energy source, he added.
So if we are in a sweet spot for tidal flows, lots of energy but not too deep or stormy, why only £20m? I also suspect the £175m is adding up everything up to now and forecast - including European money.Large-scale schemes offered value for money compared with other energy sources, he added, but the government needed a better funding model for such projects.
A spokesperson for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said: “The government absolutely recognises the great potential of tidal power. This is why we have provided the marine energy sector with £175m of innovation and research and development funding, as well as ringfencing a £20m budget for tidal stream energy, for which bids are expected for Welsh projects.
“The UK is a global leader in tidal power, to the extent that almost 50% of the world’s installed tidal stream capacity is in UK waters.”
And as tides don't coincide with peak demand most of the time WE NEED MORE STORAGE!