Government invests £5m in infrastructure for marine energy

The Government today announced a grant of up to £5m to support the continued development of marine energy in the UK. The grant will support the development of a Marine Renewables Business Park at Hayle, in the South West.It is envisaged that the Business Park will act as a focus for the future development of a cluster of businesses based around marine energy. Hayle is close to the pioneering Wave Hub project which, with £9.5 million of support from Government, will create the UK’s first offshore facility to demonstrate the operation of arrays of wave energy generation devices.Government also this month announced £4m of funding for a Marine Building at the University of Plymouth which will house new wave tank facilities and provide a flagship location where researchers and enterprises can interact and collaborate.Business Minister Ian Lucas said:“The UK has huge potential to lead in marine energy – not just the natural resources but the industrial and technology base and the R&D and skilled workforce. The grant we’re announcing today is part of the Government’s investment in the South West as a leading area for marine renewable energy.”Claire Gibson, director of sustainable resources at the South West RDA, said:"This is ...