Last night (Feb 12) the French Government published its long-awaited "Programmation Pluriannuelle de l'Energie" - the French energy strategy. It includes commercial tenders for 250 MW of tidal energy capacity to be awarded by 2030, the last missing piece to trigger the industrialisation of the sector. Earlier this week, the UK also awarded a 4th round of support to tidal projects for a total of 140 MW. This means Europe is now the first continent to industrialise tidal energy, a game-changer for the sector and the future of Europe's energy supply.
The technology is ready. The first tidal pilot farms hit the water in 2015 and 2016 in Scotland, the Netherlands and France. 10 years later, the technology is ready for large-scale deployment. Several European champions have been waiting for the opportunity to develop their technology beyond those pilots at an industrial scale.
Market visibility. The French Government is finally giving the French tidal sector - and European supply chain - the visibility it needs to attract private investment and trigger industrialisation. Large scale tenders will guarantee a return for investors, who have been waiting for such a signal. Some, such as QAIR, were already committed to tidal, but others will no doubt follow their lead.
The EU has long supported the industry via its Horizon Europe and Innovation Fund programmes. National support was the last missing piece of the financing puzzle.
Made in Europe. Deployments at this scale will kick-start mass-manufacturing, standardisation, and ultimately cost reductions, paving the way for more, cheaper and homegrown electricity from the sea. Ocean energy machines are developed, built and assembled in Europe and will create hundreds of thousands of local jobs.
Rémi Gruet, Ocean Energy Europe CEO, said: "The French Government has finally confirmed its intention to develop a tidal industry Made in France and in Europe. The signal to investors is very clear: there is a new renewable technology you can now invest in! This will benefit the entire value chain, from energy producers to public bodies to consumers. We look forward to work with the sector and national authorities to make this industrialisation a success akin to that of offshore wind or solar PV."
More on tidal energy:
Tidal energy is abundant, emission-free, environmentally friendly and invisible from the coast. It is 100% made in Europe, easy to standardise and mass-manufacture, which means costs can decrease rapidly.
Tidal energy is 100% predictable years in advance, and produces reliably 22 hours a day, helping balance supply and demand on the EU grid.
Europe developed the technology first and holds a clear advantage on the global stage, despite other countries, such as the US or China, having joined the race.
