Scotland to House World's First Shallow-Water Tidal-Energy Facility

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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--Pulse Tidal (Sheffield, England) is aiming to build the world's first shallow-water tidal-energy facility in the stretch of water dividing the Isle of Skye from the Scottish mainland.

Situated at Kyle Rhea, a single Pulse Tidal device will be capable of generating 1.2 megawatts (MW) of electricity in the narrow, fast-flowing straits. Up to eight of these devices could be linked together to produce a combined 9.6 MW. It is estimated that the Kyle Rhea straits could generate up to 20 MW. The company is hoping to install the first device in 2012.

The Pulse system operates in tidal streams that move horizontal blades up and down to drive a generator. As the unit is fully submerged on the seabed, it is hidden from view above the surface of the water, which minimises visual impact. In July 2009, Pulse completed successful testing of a smaller trial device in the Humber Estuary on the northeast coast of England. The 100-kilowatt PS100 prototype system became the first shallow-water prototype in the world to reliably supply electricity onshore. Since then, the company has received an 8 million-euro grant from the European Union to develop its first commercial generator, which will operate at 1.2 MW. For additional information, see July 31, 2009, article - U.K. Tidal Energy Project Sparks First Electricity.

According to Pulse, the new device will deliver electricity at a cost of £4 million ($5.8 million) per megawatt, which it believes is low enough to kick-start the widespread rollout of similar tidal energy projects.

"If tidal energy is to play a major part in the renewables sector, then the technology has to deliver low-cost electricity," explained Bob Smith, the chief executive of Pulse. "Pulse has developed a system that has minimal installation and maintenance costs, because it works close to shore. It is also completely below water, with minimal environmental impact."

Pulse commercial director Howard Nimmo said: "In these shallow waters, our technology can generate 1.2 MW from a single device, while other technologies would generate considerably less. Kyle Rhea is also sheltered, making maintenance easier. The power will come ashore via a cable to an electricity sub-station and then into the national grid. Scottish National Heritage has been very supportive, having seen our plans for environmental monitoring and protection, and we have now begun the one-year baseline EIA (environmental impact assessment) evaluation with a view to applying for a licence in early 2011."

In March this year, The Crown Estate, which manages the U.K.'s sea beds, awarded leasing rights to six wave and four tidal projects in the Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters off Scotland, with a combined generating capacity of 1.2 gigawatts. The winning projects will be commercial-scale operations and will make up the largest marine-energy concentration in the world. For related news, see March 18, 2010, article - Scotland Awards 1.2 Gigawatts of Marine Energy Projects.

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