Yesterday’s unveiling of the Tidal Energy Ltd ‘Deltastream’ tidal device – said by some to bear a striking resemblance to a giant daffodil – was attended by a range of people from across the environmental, business and political spectrum.
The project has benefited from nearly £8m in public funding, as well as a large amount of private investment.
RenewableUK Cymru carried out several interviews to get a flavour of the feedback from some attendees.
The First Minister officially unveiled the turbine, and repeated the Welsh Government’s ambition to produce twice the amount of energy currently used in Wales from wholly renewable sources by 2025, with 40% of that coming from the marine environment.
The latter part of this statement may be causing some head-scratching at Cathays Park, as the cancellation of the Atlantic Array and Rhiannon offshore wind projects have blown a significant hole in this part of the equation, although tidal lagoons offer the prospect of a different approach which might yet offer a viable route.
A number of our members had an involvement in the project, including Raymond Brown Renewables and Eco2. Also in attendance were our friends at Marine Energy Pembrokeshire.