With 37 sites leased to date, the UK already has a global lead in the wave and tidal industry and the exercise aims to help the industry grow further. The Crown Estate now wants developers of wave and tidal projects to share their visions of future schemes, including where and when projects may be developed.

It is also inviting suggestions about how The Crown Estate can improve the way it provides seabed rights, both in the forms of rights provided and the leasing processes itself.

"Consistent with the long-term view we take across all our assets, it is important for us to understand how we can best help the UK's portfolio of wave and tidal projects grow in future years,” said Rob Hastings, Director of the Energy and Infrastructure Portfolio at The Crown Estate.

“At the moment, development of offshore wind is of course a high priority and must continue apace for 2020 targets to be met. But looking ahead, we see excellent opportunities for wave and tidal to operate alongside offshore wind, in ways which maximise offshore renewable energy in the electricity supply mix and make optimum use of the marine estate."

Maria McCaffery, Chief Executive of RenewableUK, which represents the wave and tidal industry in the UK, welcomed the initiative. "Visibility of the pathway to future projects is crucially important for the growing wave and tidal industry,” she said.