Wave Hub, the offshore marine energy project in Cornwall, has welcomed UK Government proposals to name South West England as the UK’s first Marine Energy Park.

Climate Change Minister Greg Barker made the announcement on a visit toBristolwhere he met with key members of the new initiative.

TheSouthWestMarineEnergyParkwill stretch fromCornwalland the Isles of Scilly toBristol. It will create a collaborative partnership in the region between national and local government, Local Enterprise Partnerships, the Universities of Plymouth andExeterand industry including Wave Hub and the FabTest marine renewables nursery site inFalmouthBay.

The aim of the partnership will be to speed up the progress of marine power development.

Wave Hub general manager Claire Gibson said: “Today’s announcement reinforces the prominence ofCornwall and the South West in theUK’s offer to the marine renewable energy industry. Wave Hub is a cornerstone of the newMarineEnergyPark and we look forward to playing our role in accelerating the commercial development of marine renewables.”

The announcement has been warmly welcomed elsewhere inCornwall.

David Ellis, Chairman of Falmouth Harbour Commissioners, said: “Today’s announcement cementsFalmouth’s growing reputation as a marine renewables hub. A fantastic example of this is FabTest, a nursery test site for wave energy devices, which Falmouth Harbour Commissioners set up in response to demand from local industry wishing to offer services to the marine renewable sector. We expect to see the first device deployed at the site in the next few months and the high level of interest indicates that there will be a steady stream of device deployments to follow.”

Peter Child, Managing Director of A&P Falmouth, said: “As a company recognised for working at the forefront of the marine renewables sector, A&P Falmouth is delighted to welcome today’s announcement, which is fantastic news forFalmouth and the Cornish economy.

“We are delighted to see this commitment to marine renewable energy in the South West from the Government and are now focused on supporting the South West to realise its objective to become a leading region in marine renewable energy. With thePortofFalmouthnamed as a centre of activity for the marine energy park and with the newly opened FabTest site on our doorstep, we are perfectly positioned to support the development and growth of the sector.”

Energy from the waves or tides has the potential to generate up to 27GW of power in theUKalone by 2050, equivalent to the power generated from 8 coal-fired power stations, as well as helping to reduce emissions to fight climate change.

Greg Barker said: “This is a real milestone for the marine industry and for the South West region in securing its place in renewables history as the first official marine energy park. The South West can build on its existing unique mix of renewable energy resource and home-grown academic, technical and industrial expertise.

“Marine power has huge potential in theUKnot just in contributing to a greener electricity supply and cutting emissions, but in supporting thousands of jobs in a sector worth a possible £15bn to the economy to 2050.

“TheUKis already a world leader in wave and tidal power, so we should capitalise on this leadership to make marine power a real contender in the future energy market.”

During his visit, the Minister launched the South West Marine Energy Park Prospectus which outlines how the region’s public and private sector will work together with the government and other key national bodies such as the Crown Estate. 

The work to develop theSouthWestMarineEnergyParkhas been commissioned by Cornwall Council and Plymouth City Council. The work was undertaken by Regen SW.

A copy of the SouthWestMarineEnergyParkprospectus is available to download here: Marine Energy Park prospectus