European Commission highlights ocean energy at international conference in Dublin
The European Commission is participating in the 4th International Conference on Ocean Energy (ICOE) to highlight the strategic importance of ocean energy in the context of Blue Growth. The Conference is taking place in Dublin from 17 to 19 of October 2012. The ICOE will bring together over 750 international experts, academics, policy makers and leading companies to exchange views, share information and best practices, and stimulate collaboration on the development of ocean renewable energy technologies.
Ocean energy – i.e. energy derived from harnessing the power of tides and waves or differences in temperature or salinity - was identified as one of the five most promising growth areas in the Commission's Communication on "Blue Growth: opportunities for marine and maritime sustainable growth", adopted on 13 September 2012. While not yet as developed as the offshore wind energy –the other component of marine renewable energy – it is estimated that ocean renewable energy has the potential to contribute up to 15% of the EU's energy mix, create thousands of new jobs and contribute significantly to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The Commission is therefore paying particular attention to developments in the ocean energy sector and to events such as the ICOE as it will analyse the prospects of developing an EU policy on ocean energy in the coming months.
