Abstract
The potential for wave and tidal stream to make a material contribution to the UK’s energy mix is well recognised, and is reflected in the level of UK activity. As the industry moves from full-scale prototype stage to first arrays, the key challenge facing the marine energy industry is lowering the cost of energy generation. The Marine Energy Accelerator (MEA) has supported technology innovation over the past four years, and has set out clear pathways for future cost of energy reduction: with sufficient focus on innovation we believe the costs of energy from marine generators can be competitive with other renewable technologies by the mid 2020s.