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Released September 24, 2013 | GALWAY, IRELAND
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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland) - The largest planned tidal array in Europe has been granted planning permission by the Scottish government.
MeyGen Ltd. (London, England), a competitor in the Scottish Government's Saltire Prize, has been given the go ahead to install the tidal array in stages, beginning with a 9-megawatt (MW) demonstration project of up to six turbines. The permission covers the construction of an 86-MW array, which will be located in the Inner Sound of the Pentland Firth, off the north coast of Caithness, regarded as one of Europe's best tidal resources. MeyGen said that the project is the largest tidal stream energy development to be awarded consent in Europe and constitutes the first phase of a site that could eventually yield up to 398-MW.
"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," said Scottish Energy Minister, Fergus Ewing. "This is a major step forward for Scotland's marine renewable energy industry. When fully operational, the 86 megawatt array could generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of 42,000 homes -- around 40 per cent of homes in the Highlands. This exciting development in the waters around Orkney is just the first phase for a site that could eventually yield up 398 megawatts."
Construction on MeyGen's initial demonstration array of up to six turbines will kick-off early next year with the turbines fully commissioned in 2015.
Ed Rollings, Environment & Consents Manager of MeyGen, commented: "The award of this consent is the culmination of over four years of environmental work and extensive consultation with stakeholders and the local community in Caithness. The Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters region is an internationally important area for wildlife and we are committed to continuing research with interested parties to ensure that the exploitation of this clean, predictable and sustainable energy resource is done so in a manner that does not have a detrimental effect on the species and habitats in the area."
Earlier this Meygen and SeaGeneration Wales Limited (Bristol, England), a joint venture between Marine Current Turbines (MCT) (Bristol, England) and project partner RWE npower renewables (Swindon, England), were the big winners in the U.K. government's 23 million ($30 million) fund known as the Marine Energy Array Demonstrator scheme (MEAD). SeaGeneration Wales aims to build Wales' first tidal array project off the northwest coast of Anglesey in 2015. For additional information, see March 6, 2013, article - Marine Energy Winners Announced in U.K..
In 2010, Meygen was awarded a lease for its ambitious 400 MW Inner Sound tidal project within the Pentland Firth and Orkney waters in Scotland. The government funding will be used to advance the project. For additional information, see November 18, 2010, article - MeyGen Secures 400-Megawatt Tidal Energy Project in Scotland.
View Project Report - 78000528 300034476 300031307
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, three offices in North America and nine international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities.
MeyGen Ltd. (London, England), a competitor in the Scottish Government's Saltire Prize, has been given the go ahead to install the tidal array in stages, beginning with a 9-megawatt (MW) demonstration project of up to six turbines. The permission covers the construction of an 86-MW array, which will be located in the Inner Sound of the Pentland Firth, off the north coast of Caithness, regarded as one of Europe's best tidal resources. MeyGen said that the project is the largest tidal stream energy development to be awarded consent in Europe and constitutes the first phase of a site that could eventually yield up to 398-MW.
"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," said Scottish Energy Minister, Fergus Ewing. "This is a major step forward for Scotland's marine renewable energy industry. When fully operational, the 86 megawatt array could generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of 42,000 homes -- around 40 per cent of homes in the Highlands. This exciting development in the waters around Orkney is just the first phase for a site that could eventually yield up 398 megawatts."
Construction on MeyGen's initial demonstration array of up to six turbines will kick-off early next year with the turbines fully commissioned in 2015.
Ed Rollings, Environment & Consents Manager of MeyGen, commented: "The award of this consent is the culmination of over four years of environmental work and extensive consultation with stakeholders and the local community in Caithness. The Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters region is an internationally important area for wildlife and we are committed to continuing research with interested parties to ensure that the exploitation of this clean, predictable and sustainable energy resource is done so in a manner that does not have a detrimental effect on the species and habitats in the area."
Earlier this Meygen and SeaGeneration Wales Limited (Bristol, England), a joint venture between Marine Current Turbines (MCT) (Bristol, England) and project partner RWE npower renewables (Swindon, England), were the big winners in the U.K. government's 23 million ($30 million) fund known as the Marine Energy Array Demonstrator scheme (MEAD). SeaGeneration Wales aims to build Wales' first tidal array project off the northwest coast of Anglesey in 2015. For additional information, see March 6, 2013, article - Marine Energy Winners Announced in U.K..
In 2010, Meygen was awarded a lease for its ambitious 400 MW Inner Sound tidal project within the Pentland Firth and Orkney waters in Scotland. The government funding will be used to advance the project. For additional information, see November 18, 2010, article - MeyGen Secures 400-Megawatt Tidal Energy Project in Scotland.
View Project Report - 78000528 300034476 300031307
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, three offices in North America and nine international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities.
