A comprehensive feasibility study, to look at the development of a tidal energy project in the River Mersey, has been launched by Peel Energy and the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA). In a statement, late last month, Peel Energy said that the River Mersey has the potential to make a significant contribution to the Government's target to secure 15% of UK energy from renewable sources by 2020.

A contract, worth in the region of $4.4M (3 million euros), has been signed by Finnish company AW-Energy and the European Union to put in place a demonstration version of the company's wave energy technology, WaveRoller. The goal of the project is to manufacture and deploy the first grid-connected WaveRoller unit in  Portuguese waters near the town of Peniche. The nominal capacity of the WaveRoller unit is 300 kW and the project includes a one-year testing period.