NRT briefing
Turning the tides: Could hidden sea power energise our coastal towns?
Based on reporting by BBC News.
The Brief
Engineer David Mummery has developed the Swimmer Turbine, a 50kW tidal energy generator he says could change lives in coastal communities. The device, anchored to the sea floor and invisible below the water's surface, can power about 30 homes.
Mummery, founder of Flex Marine Power, began testing in a secret Highland river in the early 2010s. After a successful full-scale trial in Northern Ireland in 2020, the company secured £968,000 from the UK government's Energy Entrepreneurs Fund. Last year, he tested the commercial model on the Isle of Islay, where local fishermen launched it themselves.
Mummery plans to return to Islay next year to generate electricity for the island. He envisions multiple small tidal arrays owned by different people, saying the technology empowers communities with "knowledge and work ethic." The UK has "phenomenal waters for tidal power," he said.
NRT commentary
How We See It
The Swimmer Turbine is a refreshing departure from the UK's tendency toward massive, centralized energy projects. Mummery's vision of small-scale, community-owned tidal power is exactly what coastal towns need—it puts energy independence in the hands of local people, not distant corporations or utility giants.
The fact that fishermen can assemble and launch the device themselves is not just a technical feat; it's a practical empowerment that aligns with conservative principles of self-reliance and local stewardship.
The project's success, however, hinges on whether the market and regulatory environment will allow it to flourish. As Mummery notes, the industry is "littered" with promising technologies that faltered because "the market doesn't step up." For the Swimmer Turbine to break that pattern, it needs streamlined permitting and investment incentives that don't favor only utility-scale behemoths.
If Britain is serious about harnessing its exceptional tidal resources, it must remove barriers for innovators like Mummery who are working to keep energy wealth within coastal communities.
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