Frederika Whitehead finds out why despite perfect conditions British marine energy has so far failed to make waves
Peter Fraenkel has been working in the marine energy sector for almost a quarter of a century. In that time, marine energy has gone from pipe dream to potential saviour of the planet. Recent reports claim it could provide as much as 32% of the UKs electricity, contribute £6.61bn to the UK economy by 2035 and create more than 23,000 jobs.
The amount of energy the UK can derive from its oceans has increased 20-fold since 2007: the installed capacity in 2007 was 0.5MW; in 2014 it hit 10MW. And the Crown Estate, which is responsible for granting permission for any projects involving the sea or the seabed, has leased more than 40 sites for future marine energy development.