The Renewable Energy Centre today announced its support of the underwater tidal power station which is to be situated off the Pembrokeshire coast and for which proposals have now been submitted to the UK government.

E.ON UK and Lunar Energy announced their partnership in March this year and having completed feasibility studies, the proposals have now been submitted to the Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (DBERR) and other key stakeholders.

The Renewable Energy Centre in its press release earlier this month regarding the Severn Barrage proposals, highlighted alternative methods of harnessing tidal power such as underwater turbines. Today it stated that projects such as these should be taken seriously by the Government as a way of producing renewable energy within relatively short time frames. The underwater power station could be operational by 2010 and produce energy for over 5000 homes whereas the Severn Barrage and other nuclear options could take over ten years to complete.

William Law Executive Chairman of Lunar Energy commented that the partnership with E.ON UK enabled them to "look forward with increasing anticipation towards erecting this new industrial platform, and in doing so make growing supplies of renewable energy available to the whole of the United Kingdom." The Renewable Energy Centre echoed this sentiment and re-iterated that if several underwater turbine stations were established around the UK this could within five years, provide a continuous supply of renewable energy around the clock to many UK homes.

Richard Simmons, Managing Director at The Renewable Energy Centre said "With recent news regarding the Governments apparent u-turn in committing to the EU 2020 targets, we are keen to keep pushing renewable technologies such as wind and wave power which can produce energy far quicker than many of the larger proposals the Government seems to be focusing on. The Government should look at creating and supporting a new industrial sector in the renewables market and stand as a leader for promoting new technologies in this arena."

A full environmental impact report has yet to be carried out but if the underwater power station is to go ahead it will be one of the largest in the world putting the UK on the map for renewable energy from tidal power. Gordon James, Director of Friends of the Earth Crymu was in full support of the project pending the environmental report and said "in principle I hope that it does overcome any potential obstacles….we have to tap into marine sources to generate energy that does not emit large amounts of CO2."

The Renewable Energy Centre said it would continue to monitor the progress of the project and stated it was keen to see more wind and wave proposals reaching Governments approval in order to successfully battle against climate change and CO2 emissions in the UK.

More information can be found at
http://www.therenewableenergycentre.co.uk/wave-and-tidal-power/
http://www.lunarenergy.co.uk/newsDetail.php?id=12
http://pressreleases.eon-uk.com/blogs/eonukpressreleases/archive/2007/10/25/1135.aspx




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