Earlier this week, the Welsh government made a bold announcement! To this end, they are putting £2 million ($2.6 million) into the Inyanga Marine Energy Group to accelerate the commercial development of tidal energy. Welsh government First Minister, Eluned Morgan, announced the investment at the Marine Energy Wales Conference. Save the date! The conference will be held in Cardiff, Wales on May 7th and 8th 2025. This strategic funding marks a strong commitment from the Welsh government to renewable energy, with a particular emphasis on harnessing tidal power.
The announcement builds on UK Government investment intended to increase turbine efficiency at the Morlais site. This ambitious site covers 35 square kilometers and is one of Europe’s largest permitted tidal energy projects. The Morlais site is big enough to produce about 100MW of electricity, enough to supply more than 180,000 houses with power. In turn, the government has been using this funding to perfect the current turbines. This simple improvement would double energy production and increase it by up to 60%.
This announcement comes on the heels of Morgan’s recent visit to the international Wind Europe conference in Copenhagen, Denmark. During the event, she emphasized the important part renewable energy must play in meeting our energy needs.
“Following my visit to the international Wind Europe conference in Copenhagen last month, today’s investment shows how serious we are about renewable energy and its important role in meeting our future energy needs.” – Eluned Morgan
Richard Parkinson, CEO of Inyanga Marine Energy Group, shared his excitement regarding the synergies that would be created by the project’s emerging potential. He emphasized the cutting edge technology that is being used to produce tidal energy.
“Our patented HydroWing tidal array technology is right at the forefront of developments in renewable energy, untapping the full potential of ocean tides as a perpetual and predictable source of energy.” – Richard Parkinson
The Welsh government sees this investment as a serious move in the right direction to ensure a sustainable clean energy future for Wales. Morgan stressed that tidal energy provides a source of predictable, clean energy. It creates jobs in coastal communities where “create jobs” opportunities are desperately needed.
“This investment is a big step forward for Wales’ clean energy future. Tidal energy offers reliable, clean power and creates quality jobs in coastal communities where they’re needed most.” – Eluned Morgan