The Marine Energy Council (MEC) has announced 13 companies which have joined as Lead Partners to support its aim to make the UK the world leader in tidal stream and wave energy.
The MEC, established in 2018, has been instrumental in improving the investment landscape for marine energy in the UK. This includes securing three successive tidal stream ringfences and raising the profile of wave energy's role in the future energy mix.
The MEC has undergone an exciting period of growth, with members joining from across the world working to realise marine energy's potential. To support the organisation increasing its activity the MEC introduced a Lead Partnership model for 2024/25.
MEC's Lead Partners are the industry leaders in tidal stream and wave energy, representing the most innovative companies and organisations working at the forefront of realising the UK's 30 GW+ of marine energy potential.
Lead Partners will play a key role in the MEC's future, taking positions on the MEC's Board, and will provide strategic direction to the MEC's activities.
The Lead Partners are:
- CorPower Ocean: a Swedish wave energy company with a pilot-project currently deployed in Portugal and a 5 MW array planned in Ireland.
- The European Marine Energy Centre: first established in 2003 EMEC is the world's leading test centre and has delivered over £370m GVA to the UK economy.
- HydroQuest: a leading tidal stream company that has piloted its 1 MW array turbine for two years in France.
- HydroWing: secured a 10MW tidal stream contract in the Government's latest renewable auction and recently opened up new offices in north Wales to support project delivery.
- Leask Marine: international marine contractors that have completed over 900 major offshore projects around the world.
- Magallanes Renovables: a Spanish tidal stream company that has secured over 10 MW 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, playing a leading role in delivering the Faroe Islands' ambition to deliver a decarbonised energy system by 2030.
- Morlais: Anglesey-based tidal stream energy project with 240 MW of capacity.
- Nova Innovation: a world-leading marine energy company and experts in tidal stream, floating solar and marine services. In 2023, Nova Innovation recently secured Horizon Europe funding to deliver SEASTAR and install 16 tidal turbines at EMEC in Orkney.
- Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult: the UK's leading innovation centre for offshore renewable energy.
- Spiralis Energy: an Earthshot Prize nominee tidal developer that successfully tested its axial skelter prototype in May 2024. Spiralis is seeking to deploy its first array comprised of turbines made of recycled plastic, survivable for 25 years in the ocean.
- Scottish Renewables: the voice of Scotland's renewable energy industry.
- Wave Energy Scotland: a Scottish Government programme that has supported over 130 projects, committing £50m to 300 separate organisations, across 18 countries.
Sue Barr, Chair of the MEC welcomed the new Lead Partners:
"Tidal stream and wave energy can have a key role in delivering the UK's net zero ambitions. The MEC was created to give tidal stream and wave energy a voice and support efforts to make the UK attractive to investors and technology developers from around the world.
"Thanks to the support of our Lead Partners our work can continue. With a world-leading pipeline of tidal stream projects, and significant wave energy resource, I look forward to working with the Lead Partners and the new Board in realising the UK's marine energy potential."
