Tidal turbine proposal for Pentland Firth

Subject to financing and securing the necessary approvals, MCT proposes to install potentially up to 50MW of capacity by 2015, using its pioneering commercial scale SeaGen technology, and up to 300MW or more by 2020 if the local grid can take it.

To support its development ambitions in the Pentland Firth and in other parts of the UK and Ireland, and globally, MCT has appointed Cavendish Corporate Finance to secure new investment in the company. MCT’s existing shareholders include ESB International, Guernsey Electricity, Triodos Bank and EDF Energy.

Martin Wright, managing director of Marine Current Turbines said, ‘We welcome the Crown Estate’s competition for the Pentland Firth. Given our experience with our SeaGen tidal project in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough, we believe that we have a clear and substantial technical advantage as well as unique, practical experience of installing and running a commercial scale tidal power system.’

SeaGen, the world’s first commercial scale, grid connected tidal stream energy system, was deployed in Strangford Lough in May of this year. At 1.2MW capacity, SeaGen, which is in the final stages of commissioning, will generate electricity into the grid to meet the average needs of 1,000 homes.

Martin Wright added, ‘Harnessing the power of the Pentland Firth will be challenging and there are still substantial issues, in particular financing and grid connection, which will have to be addressed. However, the move by the Crown Estate is a significant and welcome step forward if the UK is to harness the sea’s energy potential on a truly commercial basis.’

Capitalising on its work in Northern Ireland, MCT is currently working with npower renewables to develop a 10MW tidal farm off the coast of Anglesey, North Wales. The two companies have undertaken a series of technical and environmental studies and are consulting key organisations in advance of a planning application being submitted and a lease agreement secured from the Crown Estate. MCT and npower renewables are targeting 2011/2012 for the tidal farm to enter operation, which will be another world-first.

MCT is the only marine energy developer (tidal and wave power) to have previously secured leases from the Crown Estate: for its 300kW SeaFlow off Lynmouth, Devon and its 1.2MW SeaGen in Strangford Lough. To secure leases on both sites from the Crown Estate required MCT to carry out comprehensive environmental impact assessments and monitoring, as well as assuring the Crown Estate of the company’s design, technical and operational credentials.