Seabed turbines will harness tidal power

Apr 16 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Tom Mcghie Financial Mail on Sunday, London

ScottishPower is testing a 100ft tidal turbine on the seabed off Orkney. The one megawatt device is capable of powering 500 homes. When the trials are completed by the end of this year, it will be transferred to a deep channel between Islay and Jura off the west of Scotland. It will then be part of a pounds sterling 40 million group of ten turbines capable of powering all the 2,500 homes and five distilleries on Islay. ScottishPower plans to place similar turbines in the Pentland Firth, which has a powerful and consistent tide. Energy experts say turbines here could power hundreds of thousands of homes.