The Swedish Energy Agency has adopted a new strategy for marine energy which is expected to further develop the country’s competence in the area, as well as encourage and contribute to a greater degree of cooperation between market players.
Marine energy can, in theory, produce relatively even electricity generation, thus complementary to other renewable energy sources such as solar and wind, which in the future can lead to a series of positive effects on the electricity system, according to the Swedish Energy Agency.
In the strategy , the Agency has identified cost reductions as the biggest challenge for making the marine energy technology competitive.
Sara Bargi , Head of the Sustainable Power Unit at the Energy Agency, said: “The marine energy strategy we have now established will guide us to our forthcoming initiatives in the area. Our efforts in marine energy will first and foremost be focused on research and innovation, which in the long term can benefit the business community in Sweden. We want to identify the solutions that can contribute to making seas energy a more competitive energy alternative.”
Sweden has relatively limited conditions for marine energy, with several recognized Swedish companies in the field that have a world-leading expertise in research and development, the Agency states.
Therefore, the Agency has noted that the opportunities for marine energy that exist abroad could create the conditions for further developing and commercializing Swedish innovations for the global market.
Also, limiting environmental impact has been identified as one of the important factors for ocean energy to continue to grow and develop as the technology needs to be adapted to ensure that the environmental impact is as small as possible.