The group has been collecting information on the industry’s
present development level in both testing and commercial deployment phases, on
progress with leasing and consenting processes, and on research relating to
environmental and socio-economic interactions.
SGWTE aims to compile a searchable database on wave and
tidal energy developments and to research activities as a resource for
scientists and regulators. An important
element of the group’s work has been to identify significant research gaps and
to compile a list of priority research areas under categories such as marine
mammals, oceanography, and fisheries interactions. SGWTE is set to finish with a third meeting
in 2013, but it is clear that there is an ongoing and increasing need for ICES
to develop science in relation to marine renewable energy.
The wave and tidal energy sector is a newcomer to the
marine environment, but it is developing rapidly. There is an urgent need for
new science to understand the potential environmental and socio-economic
interactions of wave and tidal energy developments and for this science to be
applied in policy, planning, consenting, and regulatory processes.
Many other ICES expert groups have interests in marine
energy. An important activity for SGWTE
in 2013 will be to propose a new Working Group on Marine Energy to coordinate
the flow of science between topic-based science working groups (e.g. on seabirds,
benthic ecology, fish ecology) and its application in planning, consenting and
regulatory processes in relation to tidal (both in-stream and barrage), wave
and offshore wind energy.
