§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Energy what assessment has been made by the energy technology support unit of the cost per unit of electricity generated by each of the wave energy devices currently receiving support from public funds.
§ Mr. John MooreThe most recent assessments made for the Department indicate a unit cost for all the main devices currently receiving support in the range 5–15p/kwh. The technical uncertainties and judgments involved in making such estimates make it unrealistic to give a narrower range at the present stage of development.
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will specify which devices for exploiting wave energy are currently being supported by allocations of public funds in the present financial year; for which devices is support likely to be discontinued, and on what grounds.
§ Mr. John MooreThe current programme on wave energy research and development includes work on the Lancaster flexible bag, the Bristol oscillating cylinder and various forms of the oscillating water column, with some additional basic work on spines, the use of phase control techniques and on gyroscopes as a frame of reference as well as work common to all, or most, of these devices.
331WWork has been concentrated in this way because it is believed to be the most effective way to continue the investigation of wave power as a potential source of energy. It does not imply a choice of devices for any further development beyond the present programme.
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list in the Official Report the aggregate disbursement from public funds over the past five years in support of research and development of each of the main forms of exploitation of wave energy including, in particular, the Cockerel] raft and Salteduck devices.
§ Mr. John MooreThe figures are not readily available in the form requested. The work on the various forms of exploitation is closely interrelated and it would not be meaningful to attempt to separate expenditure in this way.
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list in the Official Report the actual disbursement from public funds in support of wave energy in each financial year from 1975–76 to 1979–80.
§ Mr. John MooreFigures for total disbursements from public funds are not readily available but the major part of the expenditure has fallen on my Department's R&D budget. Expenditure by my Department for the years in question is:
1975/76 … … … £83,000 1976/77 … … … £187,000 1977/78 … … … £0.94M 1978/79 … … … £1.46M 1979/80 … … … £3.0M The expenditure for 1980–81 is expected to be £4.0 million.