UK ''needs to invest more'' in tidal renewable energy

Posted by Robert Shields.

More financial support is required to continue the development of wave and tidal power in the UK, according to an expert.

RenewableUK''s chief executive Maria McCaffery feels that a greater level of investment is needed to drive the sector forward.

Ms McCaffery, who made her comments during her organisation''s recent annual tidal and wave power conference, stated: ''The sector has been facing a funding crisis because a lot of our technologies are still in embryonic stages.''

She added: ''They need direct support to reach the water and become economically and commercially viable.''

As many as 1.4 million of the country''s households could benefit from power provided by tidal and wave renewable energy in the coming years, the expert remarked.

Meanwhile, RenewableUK has also recently outlined a number of measures that it would like to see included in the chancellor''s forthcoming financial Budget, which could help to enhance the renewable energy sector.