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WWatt’s EnergyTurn to theBritain is to go ahead with plans tobuild a new tidal energy project inthe Sound of Islay on the west coastof Scotland. An array of ten tidal turbineswill generate enough electricity to powerabout 5 000 homes.Scottish Power Renewables is behindthe scheme and it will invest £40-million ininstalling the tidal turbines of Islay whereextremely strong tidal flows frequently occur.According to Keith Anderson, chiefexecutive of Scottish Power Renewables, theapproval of the tidal turbine array meansthat the marine renewable energy sector hasbeen given a significant boost. He says this isthe first commercial tidal energy project tobe undertaken anywhere in the world.It could soon be dwarfed by a much largerproject that is planned for Pentland Firthwhere about 1 600 MW of tidal energy canbe generated.The scheme will use the HammerfestStrom tidal turbines, which have been testedas a generating prototype in Norwegianwaters for the past six years.These Hammerfest Strom turbines arecurrently also being tested in Orkney and,according to the European Marine EnergyCentre’s Neil Kermonde, construction onthis new power project will start early nextyear.So while Scottish Renewables willeffectively operate the first tidal turbinearray, European Marine Energy Centre willbe the first company to produce a significantamount of renewable energy from tidalresources.Kermonde says the significant point isthat a major renewables energy companyhas “voted with its cheque book” and isputting its own money behind tidal energygeneration.Britain is seen as the world’s leader intidal energy and the country is investingheavily in the future of this technology.for energyImage: Hammerfest Strøm.March 2011 41