Britain, China Working on Next Generation Renewable Energy

British and Chinese researchers will work together on five projects to develop the "next generation" of offshore renewable energy technologies.

In an announcement on Thursday, the UK's Natural Environment Research Council said the three-year projects would use environmental science, engineering and technology to tackle "key challenges affecting the development of ORE systems, such as offshore wind, wave and tide facilities", CNBC reported.

The projects—which have been funded as part of the Joint UK-China Offshore Renewable Energy program—would also look to maximize the environmental and socioeconomic benefits of ORE systems. In addition, NERC said the projects would, among other things, demonstrate the potential of ORE technologies to provide island and coastal communities with a stable power supply. The projects are supported with nearly $5.2 million in funding from the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council and NERC. The National Natural Science Foundation of China, or NSFC, is also providing support.

"The UK is a world leader in offshore wind, which helps us meet our climate commitments while we grow the economy and create jobs," Richard Harrington, the UK's minister for energy and industry, said in a statement.

"This $4.8 million investment will support collaborative research into the next generation of offshore technologies with one of our largest global trading partners, unlocking further opportunities for projects across the UK and the rest of the world," Harrington added.

Yang Wei, NSFC's president, said further advancing China's renewable energy sector was a crucial part of its 13th five-year plan and would help "drive future economic growth and advance the cause of low-carbon development".