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BRISTOL, England, January 23, 2006 (Refocus
Weekly)
Regulators in Northern Ireland have approved the
installation of a 1 MW tidal energy turbine.
The Environment & Heritage Service has given consent to Marine
Current Turbines of England to install its SeaGen tidal turbine in
Strangford Lough. The device has received £4.3 million in funding
from the British Department of Trade & Industry, and builds on the
earlier development of the 300 kW SeaFlow that has been operational
for more than two years.
The turbine will be installed and connected to the national grid
this year, and has the capacity to generate green power for 600
homes.
“This is a tremendous step forward for tidal energy technology,”
says Martin Wright of Marine Current Turbines. “Given the support of
DTI and Northern Ireland ministers for the SeaGen project, we now
have a unique opportunity to comprehensively assess the
environmental impact of our technology as well as showcase the
commercial potential of tidal stream energy.”
“We are confident that SeaGen will not only prove to be genuinely
low in impact and sustainable, but will show that tidal energy can
become a commercial reality and will be able to contribute to the UK
energy requirements sooner that expected,” he adds. “The great
advantage with tidal power is its predictability, certainty of fuel
supply, and zero carbon emissions.”
“The UK leads the world in the field of tidal energy and this
announcement is a very important step in maintaining that position,”
says energy minister Malcolm Wicks. “The Strangford location,
together with the expertise of Queens University of Belfast
who will manage the monitoring program, will afford a unique
opportunity to further our understanding of the true environmental
impact as well as the generation potential of these new
technologies.”
“It is a real feather in the cap for Northern Ireland to be at the
forefront of developing the technology to commercial scale,” he
adds. “Last month, my department published the consent process that
is required to get marine renewable energy prototypes in English and
Welsh waters, as well as highlighting the £50 million package of
financial support that is available from the deployment fund.
Projects like SeaGen are exactly the type of scheme we have to
replicate in order to develop a world class UK industry.”
“Our work with a smaller tidal device, the 300 kW SeaFlow that was
also supported by the DTI and has been running off the north Devon
coast for the past two and a half years, has been invaluable in
developing SeaGen, the next generation device,” says Peter Fraenkel
of MCT. “We have shown that it is possible to generate power in a
hostile marine environment and to have a negligible effect on marine
life.”
“Strangford Lough has one of the strongest tidal currents in the UK
and Ireland so is a perfect location for us to pilot a
pre-commercial device,” says Martin Wright of MCT. “It’s also a
fantastic opportunity for Northern Ireland to show to the rest of
the world that it is serious about renewable energy and
sustainability.”
MCT and Royal Haskoning conducted a comprehensive environmental
assessment for the SeaGen installation, to respect the sensitivity
of the location. Environment & Heritage Service granted consent via
the Food & Environment Protection Act, and the developers worked
with EHS and conservation groups to agree on an adaptive approach to
environmental monitoring of SeaGen’s installation and operation.
Last month, EDF Energy, one of the largest energy companies in
Britain, increased its investment in MCT by £2 million, to support
commercial development of the 1 MW SeaGen.
“We made our original investment in MCT in 2002 and are very pleased
to have extended our involvement and to be associated with the
world-leading tidal energy company,” says Chris Daniels of EDF. “It
is the next step in our long-term commitment to maintaining a
diverse and sustainable energy mix in the future including all types
of generation, clean coal, gas, nuclear and renewables. We believe
this diversity is crucial to address climate change, ensure security
of supply and providing competitively priced electricity for
customers.”
The 300 kW SeaFlow prototype was the world’s first offshore tidal
turbine when it was installed off Lynmouth, Devon in May, 2003.
MCT has established a subsidiary, Sea Generation, to advance the
SeaGen project. Officials expect to see the first commercial tidal
farm to be operating within the next five years.
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