Tidal Energy: The UK’s Next Major Opportunity — and Why It’s Time to Balance the Equation

For the last decade, the UK has led the world in offshore wind. That leadership should continue — but the system is now telling us something important:

We cannot keep adding intermittent generation without also adding predictable power to stabilise the grid.

Curtailment and balancing costs now run into billions each year, passed directly onto consumers. Tidal-stream energy is perfectly predictable, generates during wind lulls, strengthens grid resilience and reduces system-wide costs.

**A Smarter Use of Investment**
A single £1.2bn offshore-wind investment could seed the entire UK tidal-stream sector — creating multiple arrays, a strong domestic supply chain, UK jobs and global export advantage.

**Scottish and UK Industrial Benefits**
Tidal creates more UK jobs per megawatt, drives coastal regeneration, and leverages British engineering strengths.

**Investor Returns and Growth**
Offshore wind is now low-risk and low-return; tidal offers far greater upside and long-term growth potential. Once early arrays are in place, institutional investment will scale rapidly.

**A Moment of Opportunity**
GB Energy, the National Wealth Fund and the UK Government have a unique opportunity to establish a new British-led clean-energy industry.

As QED Naval and its subsidiary Tocardo Turbines look to develop their first UK Government CfD contract and project under AR5, with a GVA alone of over $100m, they are keen to ensure that UK policymakers, investors and supply chain secure this opportunity for the future, explore the next steps, and are keen to develop it further.

Let’s unlock the UK’s next clean‑energy success story – contact us.