Cleantech innovators are supporting the UK Government’s decision to launch a new Marine Energy Taskforce, which aims to unlock billions in economic value and create thousands of UK jobs. Can the UK’s untapped tidal and marine energy potential be realised at last?
Whilst the UK’s tidal streams and coastline represent a significant untapped source of renewable energy, the systems needed to harness that energy and bring it back to shore are both costly and complex. With funding and private sector investment for tidal and marine energy in short supply compared to other renewables such as solar and wind energy, technological advancements have been relatively slow to materialise.
However, there are emerging signs of an upturn in interest in tidal and marine energy. Established in June 2025, the Marine Energy Taskforce will assess the potential of offshore tidal stream and marine power, and report back in a year’s time. Their findings will inform future UK policy and investment decisions. But why the change of heart and what’s driving interest in tidal and marine energy?
UK tidal energy: untapped resource
UK coastal waters and streams have some of the world’s biggest tidal ranges. The tidal range of the Severn Estuary, for example, extends to more than 14m at its highest point – the second highest globally. Only the Bay of Fundy in Canada has a higher tidal range, reaching over 16m at its highest point. This untapped clean energy resource is of significant interest to the UK Government as it explores different strategies to achieve net zero by 2050. Technological solutions developed in the UK could also be utilised overseas, bringing long-term economic benefits for UK companies and intellectual property (IP) rights owners. A report published by the University of Edinburgh has underlined the opportunity that exists to drive economic growth. The report shows that scaling up tidal and marine energy technologies to meet demand domestically and globally could deliver an estimated £50 billion to the UK economy and create more than 90,000 jobs. Recognising the importance of optimising operational efficiency, the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, part of the UK’s national innovation agency, says that tidal energy costs could fall 80% by 2035 with the right technological developments.
Cost and complexity have long been a barrier to the wider take up of tidal stream and marine energy systems, but progress is being made, and modern systems are demonstrating their viability. For example, maintenance has historically been a key issue for systems operators due to the need to bring the turbines back to shore or send divers down to service or repair them. To address this problem, Tidal Technologies Ltd has obtained a patent at the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) – (GB2621060B) – for an innovative tidal turbine assembly, which has a plurality of foils supported by a foil support configured to move up and down relative to a turbine shaft to facilitate maintenance in situ.
Focus for innovators
Demonstrating durability and minimising the need for unscheduled maintenance remains a core focus for innovators. Underwater systems must contend with the harshness of the marine environment: the need for continuous operation under exposure to saltwater, makes corrosion and wear critical considerations. The MeyGen tidal energy project off the coast of Scotland is demonstrating that modern tidal stream and marine energy systems can be reliable and durable. The project has four turbines, each producing 1.5MW, sufficient electricity to power up to 7,000 homes annually. Swedish company, SKF, has recently confirmed that the bearings and seals on one of the turbines have passed the 6½-year mark without needing any unplanned or disruptive maintenance. SKF has patented several solutions aimed at improving the durability of tidal turbines including a sealed bearing assembly (US11009077B2), which can be assembled as a complete unit away from the marine environment and prior to installation on a tidal turbine, while also reducing overall component count for simplified maintenance.
Other companies, such as Sweden’s CorPower Ocean are developing next generation wave energy converters, which can be adjusted and optimised using an AI-based closed loop control system to make the most of the tidal conditions. This technology is currently being used on a wave farm project in Portugal, and it will be used for the Saoirse Wave Energy project, off the coast of Ireland, which is due to start by 2030.
Optimising energy capture is another key concern for innovators, with some focused on addressing undesirable secondary wave propagation when a wave impacts an underwater tidal energy generation system. To prevent this unwanted transfer of energy and to optimise the capacity of tidal stream power generation systems, UK-based Marine Power Systems Ltd has secured patent protection in the US (US12326132B2) with pending patent applications in Europe and elsewhere (e.g. EP4359661A1), for a wave energy capturing device implementing a buoyant absorber attached to a pivot point. The absorber is positioned down wave of the pivot point, and rotates around it, preventing wave propagation and improving the capture of energy for conversion.
Whereas some turbines have been attached to the seabed or to a floating device and maintain a fixed orientation, others take the form of ‘kites’ tethered to the seabed. For example, Minesto’s patented ocean energy technology (EP4359664B1) is designed to behave similarly to a kite flying in the wind. The wing uses the hydrodynamic lift created by the underwater current to move the kite at speeds higher than that of the tide alone and is steered through the water by an onboard control system. In turn the on-board turbine rotates at higher speeds than those in fixed tidal stream generators.
In the race to net zero, governments around the world are recognising the untapped energy potential of their coastlines, and funding for research programmes is increasing. In this fast-growing tidal stream and marine energy market, innovative companies must seek early IP advice and ensure that the commercial potential of their nascent and advancing solutions are adequately protected, not just in the UK, but across core markets globally. Particularly at this early stage, properly protected innovations may result in rights critical to the future development of the tidal and wave energy markets, opening the possibility for innovators to carve out significant market share as well as develop future licensing opportunities.
Withers & Rogers LLP
Established in 1884, Withers & Rogers LLP is a leading European intellectual property (IP) firm providing expert advice on the protection and enforcement of IP rights, particularly for inventions, designs and trade marks. Reflecting the firm’s distinctive entrepreneurial personality, its patent and trade mark attorneys come with a depth of specialist understanding and pride themselves on helping businesses to commercialise their IP. With over 200 partners and staff, Withers & Rogers has four offices in the UK (London, Bristol, Warwick and Sheffield) and two further offices in Paris and Munich. The firm’s client portfolio stretches across the Americas, the Far East and Australia as well as mainland Europe. Withers & Rogers has a large, technology-diverse client base ranging from major corporations and multi-nationals to small and medium-sized enterprises and universities. www.withersrogers.com
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