A grant of up to £5m to support the continued development of marine energy in the UK was announced by the UK government today (31st March). The grant will support the development of a Marine Renewables Business Park at Hayle, in the South West. In a statement issued by the Department for Business Innovations and Skills (BIS) it said that it envisaged that the Business Park will act as a focus for the future development of a cluster of businesses based around marine energy.

Hayle is close to the pioneering Wave Hub project which, with £9.5 million of support from Government, will create the UK's first offshore facility to demonstrate the operation of arrays of wave energy generation devices.

It has been a good month for marine energy in the UK, with the government also announcing £4m of funding for a Marine Building at the University of Plymouth, which will house new wave tank facilities and provide a flagship location where researchers and enterprises can interact and collaborate.

Commenting on the announcement Business Minister Ian Lucas said: "The UK has huge potential to lead in marine energy – not just the natural resources but the industrial and technology base and the R&D and skilled workforce. The grant we’re announcing today is part of the Government’s investment in the South West as a leading area for marine renewable energy."

Claire Gibson, director of sustainable resources at the South West RDA, said: "This is another important step in securing the South West as the leader in marine renewables. With Wave Hub now under construction, the business park will be a significant facility that will nourish the nascent marine renewables industry."