The UK Governement have agreed to invest £10m into the £51m ‘Meygen Tidal Stream Project’ which is set to create the world’s largest Tidal Power scheme in Scotland.
The UK already has around 50% of Europe’s tidal energy resource, but the project in the north of Scotland could generate enough electricity to power 175,000 homes in the UK.
The MeyGen project will be at the forefront of world marine energy development, and will harvest the tidal resource of one of the most energetic sites in Europe. The project will cover the area that lies in the channel between the island of Stroma and the north easterly tip of the Scottish mainland, encompassing almost 3.5km2 of fast flowing water.
The scheme is being backed by the Scottish government and the Crown Estate.
Energy secretary Ed Davey said the “innovative and exciting project” would put the UK “on the map as a global leader in marine technology”.
He added: “Wave and tidal power have the potential to provide more than 20% of the UK’s electricity needs, and Meygen could pave the way for future projects in the Pentland Firth.”
MeyGen Limited state that they hope to generate enough electricity to power 40,000 Scottish homes by the early 2020s.
(Reproduced from Building.co.uk: http://www.building.co.uk/government-invests-in-world%E2%80%99s-biggest-tidal-power-project/5070502.article and http://www.meygen.com/)
