Scottish Renewable Energy Companies Provide Leading Examples of New Technology Solutions to be Discussed at Gleneagles(R) G8 Summit.

PERTHSHIRE, Scotland -- Marine Energy Businesses Offer Practical Answer for Nations Seeking to Combat Climate Change

Global climate change and viable solutions will be on the agenda at this year's G8 Summit to be held July 6-8. One promising area of renewable and sustainable energy sources, marine energy, can be found in Scotland, where the conference is located.

Approximately 13 percent of Scotland's electricity comes from renewable energy sources. Regions that house marine energy companies include Solway Firth in Southwest Scotland, where there is a tidal range of 5.5 meters, and Pentland Firth, considered the standard for marine energy because of its powerful marine currents. Scottish companies, universities and organizations such as Ocean Power Delivery, Robert Gordon University and the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) are at the forefront of discovering new solutions and methods of harnessing marine energy.

"Scottish marine energy companies continue to find innovative solutions that can be applied globally," said, Lorna Jack, Director, Americas. "In fact, it is estimated that 34 percent of the United Kingdom's electricity demand could be generated by marine currents."

At 59.1 giga watts (GW), Scotland's potential renewable resources are vast. Scotland's domestic electric energy requirement is approximately 10.5 GW, enabling great potential for exporting of sustainable energy to areas in need, including parts of Africa--also a key focus at this year's summit.

"Thanks to our marine energy industry, we are on target of having 18 percent of Scottish electricity coming from renewable sources by 2010," said Jack. "Initiatives such as the EMEC, the world's first marine test center and Robert Gordon University's development of the Snail, a prototype turbine platform used for generating marine energy, have permitted Scotland to excel in renewables and to be a model for industrialized nations across the globe."

About Scottish Development International

Scottish Development International (SDI) is jointly operated by the Scottish Executive and Scottish Enterprise, the main economic development agency for Scotland covering 93 percent of the population from Grampian to the Borders. SDI has offices in the UK, mainland Europe, North America and Asia. Additional information can be found on the SDI website at www.sdi.co.uk.