BBC News, 15
September 2013
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Each of MeyGen's AR1000 turbines stands 22.5m (73ft) tall and weighs 1,500 tonnes |
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Work is to
begin on the largest tidal energy project in Europe after the Scottish
government granted permission.
MeyGen is
to install the tidal array in stages in the Pentland Firth, between Orkney and
the Scottish mainland.
It will
begin with a 9MW demonstration project of up to six turbines, with construction
expected to take place on a phased basis until 2020.
When fully
operational, the 86MW array could generate enough electricity to power the
equivalent of 42,000 homes.
That is the
equivalent of 40% of homes in the Highlands, the Scottish government said.
It will be
the first commercial deployment of tidal turbines in Scottish waters.
Scottish-registered
company MeyGen is a joint venture between investment bank Morgan Stanley,
independent power generator International Power and tidal technology provider
Atlantis Resources Corporation.
Its tidal
energy project is located in the Inner Sound of the Pentland Firth off the
north coast of Caithness.
The firm
has agreed a 25-year lease with the Crown Estate for an area encompassing about
1.4 square miles (3.5 square kilometres) of fast flowing water between the
island of Stroma and the north easterly tip of the Scottish mainland.
Its AR1000
turbine is claimed to be the world's most powerful single-rotor tidal device.
Each of the
devices, which stand 22.5m (73ft) tall, weigh 1,500 tonnes and have a rotor
diameter of 18m (59ft), could generate up to 1MWt of power.
Phase one
of the plan would see 86 turbines deployed, with MeyGen hoping a second phase
would eventually see up to 400 submerged turbines at the site.
'Climate
change'
Scottish
Energy Minister Fergus Ewing said: "Today we have granted consent to
MeyGen Limited to develop the largest tidal turbine array in Europe and the
first commercial project off these shores.
"This
is a major step forward for Scotland's marine renewable energy industry.
"This
exciting development in the waters around Orkney is just the first phase for a
site that could eventually yield up to 398MW."
Speaking
before the Scottish Renewables Marine Conference got under way in Inverness, Mr
Ewing also announced that developers Aquamarine Power Limited and Pelamis Wave
Power are to share a slice of a £13m wave "first array" support
programme.
The award
is part of the Scottish government's Marine Renewables Commercialisation Fund.
Mr Ewing
said the tide was turning for the wave sector.
He added:
"We must tackle climate change. We need to reduce our reliance on fossil
fuels through better and more efficient uses of energy.
"Marine
energy - a home-grown technology with huge potential - is part of the
solution."
The
announcement was welcomed by environmental group WWF Scotland.
Director
Lang Banks said: "This is a significant announcement and a major boost for
the marine renewable industry in Scotland.
"However,
as there is little point in generating huge amounts of marine renewable energy
on Scotland's islands if it cannot also be got to the mainland, we now need UK
and Scottish ministers to find a way forward that enables us to harness the
full potential of this clean energy source.
"Alongside
energy saving measures, marine renewables will have a critical role to play in
helping Scotland reduce climate emissions as we phase out polluting fossil
fuels and nuclear power.
"With
careful planning we can harness Scotland's huge wave and tidal energy to help
cut our climate emissions, while safeguarding the nation's tremendous marine
environment."
'Fraught
with difficulty'
The Carbon
Trust has estimated that wave and tidal resources could provide 20% of the UK's
electricity if fully developed.
And the
Scottish government believes the country's technological expertise in marine
energy makes it extremely well placed to capitalise on domestic and overseas
markets.
Scotland
has been described as a Saudi Arabia of renewable energy potential, but
developing power from offshore tidal streams is fraught with difficulty.
The harsh
environment and extreme weather conditions make building, deploying and
managing a fleet of tidal machines a treacherous challenge, as the BBC
discovered when reporting on the emerging industry last year.
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