Abstract
The UK’s position as a leading nation in the global effort to slow climate change has now become synonymous with our position as one of the leading nations in the research, innovation and development of the ocean energy sector. The value of this position has only been emphasised in light of Russia’s ongoing illegal invasion of Ukraine, with the UK looking to further develop renewable energy technologies, such as wave and tidal, that can complement and strengthen the existing domestic energy mix. The maturation of the sector continues to move at pace, with tidal stream looking to move from single device deployment to arrays and the wave sector seeing increased tank testing and deployment of prototypes. With regards to the policy landscape, recent government energy strategies, both at a UK and devolved level, make explicit reference to the untapped potential of the ocean energy sector for energy generation and energy security. This is only bolstered by the success of market pull mechanisms such as the Contracts for Difference scheme, which has delivered increased sectoral confidence as a number of device developers were granted contracts. Across the UK, industry, academia and government continue to tie the ocean energy sector to net-zero ambitions, energy security strategies and the Just Transition. However, there is still a pressing need for a reduction in the overall costs of ocean energy to ensure the sector becomes competitive with more mature renewable technologies, there is reason to believe that both wave and tidal energy have a vital role to play in the future of UK energy production.