Wave and tidal energy is a key opportunity in the UK’s energy transition – and it took the spotlight at the Marine Energy Conference 2026.
The UK’s wave and tidal energy community gathered for the conference on March 10, 2026 at the Global Underwater Hub (GUH) facility in Newcastle.
Co‑hosted by GUH and the UK Marine Energy Council, the event brought together technology pioneers, developers, test centres and supply‑chain specialists for a full day of insight into one of the UK’s fastest‑advancing renewable sectors.
The conference explored technological progress, industry roadmaps, and the increasing role of marine energy in a net‑zero electricity system.
Wave and tidal energy, long recognised as a major opportunity for the UK due to its extensive coastline and strong marine resources, was at the forefront of discussion.
The UK has over 30GW of marine energy potential and has the capability to lead the world in developing, deploying and exporting marine energy technologies.
And the development and roll-out of tidal stream technology is certainly gathering momentum in the UK.
There is currently 10MW of tidal stream capacity deployed and an additional 120MW to be deployed by 2028
And the results of Allocation Round (AR) 7 saw 20.9 MW of tidal stream capacity secured across four projects.
In Wales, Mor Energy Limited was awarded a contract for its 5.5 MW Mor Energy GO3 Phase2 tidal stream project, Tidal Technologies W1 Ltd for its 3 MW Morlais Tidal Tech GR1 W1.1, and Hydrowing Tidal Projects 2 Ltd for its 10 MW Ynni’r Lleuad 3.
In Scotland, Orbital Projects 10 Limited secured a contract for its 2.4 MW Orbital Marine Eday 5 tidal stream project.
Sharing insights from the vanguard of marine energy…
One of the most anticipated presentations at Marine Energy 2026 came from Eileen Linklater, Corporate Affairs Director of EMEC: European Marine Energy Centre, who transported delegates to Orkney – home to the world’s leading open‑water wave and tidal testing facility.
EMEC has supported the development and demonstration of marine energy technologies for more than 20 years, enabling innovators to test devices in real‑world conditions.
Eileen also highlighted EMEC’s collaboration with Microsoft on Project Natick, which explored the benefits of subsea data centres, including improved energy efficiency and enhanced resilience. The project demonstrated how marine environments can support innovative low‑carbon digital infrastructure – offering a glimpse into the future convergence of renewable energy and subsea technology.
Speakers from some of the UK’s most advanced wave and tidal energy companies showcased the innovations shaping the next generation of marine power…
Among them were:
Oliver Wragg, Development Director of Orbital Marine Power Ltd – developers of the world’s most powerful tidal turbine – the Orbital O2. Oliver, who explained that the company went for the “go big or go home’ option, when it came to the technology, revealed the company’s two-decade journey on marine energy, and described Orbital O2 as representing “a different engineering approach to the tidal stream challenge opportunity.”
Ione Smith, Senior Product Manager of Proteus Marine Renewables, who explained how the company is aiming to scale commercially with plans to install an additional 92 MW of total energy capacity by 2029 and transition from pilot projects to full scale production. To support this growth, Proteus Marine Renewables is expanding its capabilities by building centres of excellence in strategic locations and continuing to develop opportunities across the UK, Japan, France, US and Indonesia.
Callum Johnson, Operations Engineer at MeyGen – a groundbreaking operational tidal stream project, located in Scotland’s Pentland Firth. His presentation was a fascinating insight the development of the project. Approximately 75% of the world’s total power generated by tidal stream has come from Meygen – and there is much more to come as Meygen Phase 2 gets underway.
Cameron McNatt, Managing Director of Mocean Energy, who spoke on ‘green energy for the blue economy’. “I think that everyone knows there’s a massive amount of potential in energy from the ocean – 180 to 200 gigawatts, he said. “That kind of scale for wave energy is what’s possible in the next 25 years. But it’s going to take some work.” And Cameron went on to explain how its Blue Star 10 technology – an offshore renewable energy system – is rising to that challenge.
These organisations are at the forefront of what GUH describes as a ‘significant opportunity’ for the UK.
The conference was chaired by Sue Bartlett-Reed, Chair of the UK Marine Energy Council, who set the tone for the day by highlighting the strategic importance of marine energy to the UK’s clean energy transition.
“We are a global leader,” said Sue. “We know that we have the engineering skills and capabilities, we have the indigenous resource. Fantastic technologies are now operational and we know that we have a changing landscape in terms of project finance, with GB Energy, the National Wealth Fund and others looking at how we become more secure in our supply of energy in the UK.”
Together with Ricci Boston Regional Director of GUH, she framed the conference within the wider Marine Energy Taskforce (MET), a 12‑month initiative established to create a national roadmap that supports innovation, site development, finance mobilisation and supply‑chain growth across the sector.
Across keynote presentations, panel discussions and stakeholder sessions, three clear messages emerged:
- Wave and tidal energy can play a meaningful role in the UK’s renewable mix, offering predictable, complementary generation alongside wind and solar.
- Technology is maturing rapidly, with tidal stream projects already delivering high UK supply‑chain content.
- Industry appetite is strong, with developers, supply‑chain companies and test facilities aligned behind the opportunity.
The conference provided a compelling snapshot of the sector. From EMEC’s world‑leading testing capabilities to the groundbreaking work of technology developers like Orbital Marine Power, Proteus, MeyGen and EBB‑Flow, the UK’s marine energy landscape is rich with innovation and ambition.
We look forward to attending more Global Underwater Hub events over the coming months and continuing to support the organisations shaping the future of renewable energy.