In with the tide

News

Bristol-based tidal energy company Marine Current Turbines is applying for a lease from the Crown Estate to install its tidal technology in Scotland’s Pentland Firth.

Bristol-based tidal energy company Marine Current Turbines (

is applying for a lease from the Crown Estate to install its tidal technology in Scotland’s Pentland Firth.

The company is proposing to use its SeaGen technology to provide 50MW of electricity by 2015 and up to 300MW by 2020, depending on local grid capacity.

According to MCT, SeaGen is the world’s first 1.2MW commercial-scale grid-connected tidal stream energy system. The system is in its final stages of commissioning and will have the capacity to generate enough electricity to power 1,000 homes.

Martin Wright, managing director of MCT said: ‘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.’

Register now to continue reading

Thanks for visiting The Engineer. You’ve now reached your monthly limit of news stories. Register for free to unlock unlimited access to all of our news coverage, as well as premium content including opinion, in-depth features and special reports.  

Benefits of registering

  • In-depth insights and coverage of key emerging trends

  • Unrestricted access to special reports throughout the year

  • Daily technology news delivered straight to your inbox

Register
Or continue by

Signing in with your registered email address