Marine Energy

13 companies join council to advance marine energy in the UK

13 companies join council to advance marine energy in the UK
(Courtesy: Michael Olsen/Unsplash)

The Marine Energy Council (MEC) announced 13 new companies have joined as lead partners to support MEC’s ambition to make the UK the world leader in tidal stream and wave energy.

MEC was established in 2018 and has worked to improve the investment landscape for marine energy in the UK. This includes securing three successive tidal stream ringfences in the UK’s renewable auctions and raising the profile of wave energy’s role in the future energy mix.

To support the organization’s expansion and increase its capacity, MEC introduced a lead partnership model for 2024/25. MEC’s lead partners represent innovative companies and organizations working at the forefront of realizing the UK’s 30 GW+ of marine energy potential. Lead partners will play a key role in MEC’s future, taking on a position on the board and providing strategic direction to MEC’s activities.

The lead partners are:

  • CorPower Ocean: Swedish wave energy company with a pilot project deployed in Portugal and a 5 MW array planned in Ireland.
  • European Marine Energy Centre: Established in 2003, EMEC is a test center that has delivered over £370 million GVA to the UK economy.
  • HydroQuest: French tidal stream company that has piloted its 1 MW array turbine for two years.
  • HydroWing: Secured a 10 MW tidal stream contract in the government’s latest renewable auction and recently opened new offices in north Wales to support project delivery.
  • Leask Marine: International marine contractors that have completed over 900 major offshore projects.
  • Magallanes Renovables: Spanish tidal stream company that has secured over 10 MW of renewable contracts to deliver projects in Scotland and Wales. 
  • Minesto: With operations in Wales, Sweden, the Faroe Islands, Northern Ireland and Taiwan, Minesto is a Nasdaq-listed tidal stream kite company and is playing a leading role in delivering the islands’ ambition to deliver a decarbonized energy system by 2030.  
  • Morlais: Anglesey-based tidal stream energy project with 240 MW of capacity.
  • Nova Innovation: Marine energy company and experts in tidal stream, floating solar and marine services. In 2023, Nova Innovation secured Horizon Europe funding to deliver SEASTAR and install a 16 tidal turbine array in Orkney.
  • Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult: UK’s innovation center for offshore renewable energy.
  • Spiralis Energy: Earthshot Prize nominee tidal developer that tested its axial skelter prototype in May 2024 and is seeking to deploy its first array comprised of turbines made of recycled plastic, survivable for 25 years in the ocean. 
  • Scottish Renewables: Voice of Scotland’s renewable energy industry.
  • Wave Energy Scotland: Scottish Government program that has supported over 130 projects, committing £50 million to 300 organizations across 18 countries.