Italian oil and gas giant Eni has joined marine renewable energy group Ocean Energy Europe (OEE), as lead partner. Vincenzo Michetti, Eni’s Head of Upstream R&D will represent the company on the OEE Board.
As part of the industry body focused on the development of tidal and wave energy, Eni said it would collaborate to chart the strategic course of OEE, for the promotion of a policy framework in support of R&D, with the aim of commercializing marine technological solutions.
OEE brings together a network of leading utilities, manufacturers and also research institutes.
"By joining the OEE, Eni further reinforces its commitment to the development of renewable marine energies and widens its network of synergies that includes the scientific collaboration with the Politecnico di Torino and the spin-off Wave for Energy S.r.l, as well as the partnership for the joint development of power plants for wave power on an industrial scale with CDP, Fincantieri and Terna," Eni said.
Eni and the Politecnico di Torino, in Italy, have recently inaugurated MORE – Marine Offshore Renewable Energy Lab – a joint research laboratory that aims to develop ocean energy to its full potential. The lab will fuel the expansion of research into marine energy sources, from wave power to offshore wind and solar power, ocean and tidal currents, and salinity gradient.
"For Eni, joining OEE is in line with the transformation path traced by the company, that in the last six years has adopted a new business model and a new mission inspired by the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Moreover, Eni has launched a long-term strategy with the aim of becoming leader in the supply of decarbonized products by 2050, with radical emission cuts. Eni’s commitment to the development of key technologies for the process of decarbonization is pivotal for its evolution," Eni added.
Remi Gruet, CEO of Ocean Energy Europe, warmly welcomed Eni to the team of Directors: “The addition of Eni to the Ocean Energy Europe board underscores once again the growing credibility of ocean energy. Eni brings a wealth of experience in energy production and innovation to the association, which will be invaluable in charting the future course of this emerging industry. I look forward to working with Vincenzo and his team on propelling ocean energy into the mainstream.”
According to a recent report released by OEE, around 3 GW of ocean energy could be deployed worldwide by 2030. with costs falling to around €90/MWh for tidal stream and €110/MWh for wave energy. Of the 3GW, over 90% of the world’s ocean energy could be installed in Europe over the next decade, reflecting the strong global position that Europe holds in ocean energy.