HL Deb 26 July 1984 vol 455 cc396-7

3.8 p.m.

Lord Stoddart of Swindon

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to restart the programme of research and development in wave energy.

The Earl of Avon

My Lords, following the Advisory Council on Research and Development's recommendation in 1982, the department's wave energy programme was reduced to its present level of about £300,000 a year. The programme is kept under review but there appears to be no justification at present for any increase.

Lord Stoddart of Swindon

My Lords, in thanking the noble Earl for his reply, may I also express my disappointment? Can he confirm whether the world's first commercial wave power station is to be built in Norway using research and development work undertaken in this country at a cost of £10 million to the British taxpayer? If this is so would he also say whether this is not yet another case of British brains and expertise being beneficially exploited by a foreign country, and Britain—the pioneer—failing to profit from its own genius?

The Earl of Avon

No, my Lords. I do not think that in this particular case that is so. The reason that we did not go forward with this technology is that at the moment we do not believe that it pays. In a country like Norway, it may do so because there is an indented coastline with a small tidal range which facilitates the installation of small-scale demonstration schemes. That would not apply to this country.

The Earl of Lauderdale

My Lords, could my noble friend say whether any sites have been identified on the British coastline which are in any way comparable with the Norwegian coastline as possibly suitable for this kind of power generation?

The Earl of Avon

No, my Lords, not at the moment, but the laboratory work is still being carried out particularly at Coventry Polytechnic, Queen's University, Belfast, as well as at Edinburgh University.

Lord Rea

My Lords, should not Her Majesty's Government be looking forward to the possible day when fossil fuels become scarce or uneconomic and possibly envisage the day when nuclear power is not regarded as a suitable means of obtaining energy? Is there not a case for having a working, full-scale model in this country such as the one in Norway? I feel that the answers that have been given so far do not fully clear the points which have been made by my noble friends.

The Earl of Avon

My Lords, we are continuing research to see whether there is any justification in a large-scale project for wave energy. In the meantime, we are concentrating for renewables on geothermal, both tidal and hot dry rock as well as wind, biofuels and passive solar.

Lord Stoddart of Swindon

My Lords, may I urge the noble Earl, in the light of the Norwegian experience and whether it expects to produce wave energy at less than 5p a unit, not to write off wave energy, as appears to be done, but to keep in very close touch with developments, and if applicable in this country to make sure that resources are available to develop?

The Earl of Avon

My Lords, the gist of my answers was that we have not written it off but are still keeping an eye on it. In fact, the energy technology support unit at Harwell is preparing a report on the programme which will he published later in the year.

The Earl of Halsbury

My Lords, can the noble Earl say whether any money has been spent on the real essence of this problem? How do you maintain wave-power generators in the open sea against incrustation by marine growth and the general corrosion of sea water?

The Earl of Avon

My Lords, I will bring the noble Earl's question to the attention of the laboratory where the work is being carried out.