The European Commission’s Sixth Framework Programme ‘Co-ordinated Action on Ocean Energy’ (CA-OE) set out as one of its tasks to produce an initial Tidal Energy Research, Development and Demonstration (RD&D) Roadmap. To this end the Roadmap utilises five top-down levels (top first): Policy Goals, Vision,
Sectors, Platforms, and Milestones.
Based on current EU policy and legislation, the Roadmap sets a vision that “tidal energy technology should be established as a mainstream commercially viable means of power production by 2020 providing bankable, reliable, secure, sustainable energy towards the EU renewable targets”.
The Tidal RD&D is segmented into 7 diagrammatic timeline Sectors covering the major
RD&D themes identified. To aid clarity, these are subsequently broken down into Platforms with specific timed milestones to be completed.
The Roadmap demonstrates that the Vision statement is achievable in timely steps by 2020, but given the present rapid rate of development it is recommended that a yearly Roadmap review and update be provided in conjunction with the tidal energy community and key stakeholders. This should ensure that the tidal community’s visionary goals are clearly communicated and rapidly realised.
In tidal energy there is likely to exist the potential for great wealth creation through the delivery of clean, predictable, and sustainable energy. The aim of this Roadmap and the CA-OE Partners is that by the year 2020 the advantages of tidal energy will be a solid commercial reality.
