The European ocean energy industry has welcomed the publication of the Communication on Ocean Energy at a press conference hosted by The European Commissioner for Fisheries & Maritime Affairs, Maria Damanaki and the European Commissioner for Energy, Gunther Oettinger.
The Communication outlines the approach the EU will take to support the ocean energy sector until 2020, starting with the creation of an Ocean Energy Forum.
“The prize for securing global technology leadership in ocean energy is huge, but the challenges faced by the sector are significant. The Commission clearly recognises this and has moved to help the industry bridge the gap to commercialisation,” said Sian George, CEO of Ocean Energy Europe .
“The industry is extremely pleased with the creation of the Ocean Energy Forum and looks forward to working with the Commission and Member States to make sure it drives the sector forward. The initiative provides a platform for coordinating support and risk sharing which will ultimately provide practical support and get devices in the water,” said George .
The Forum will be made up of ministers, regional directors and industry CEOs from across Europe. The Commission proposes to use the outputs from the Ocean Energy Forum to create a European Industrial Initiative for Ocean Energy by 2017.
Press release, January 23, 2014; Image: Ocean Energy Europe