A stretch of water in the Bristol Channel, 2kms off the north Devon coast, could be the location for England’s first commercial tidal energy farm.
Marine Current Turbines, the company that installed the world’s first tidal stream device off Lynmouth in 2003 (the 300kW SeaFlow device) is
investigating the feasibility of building a 12 unit tidal energy farm in waters 2kms north-west of Lynmouth, off Foreland Point on the north Devon coast. The 10MW tidal farm, to be known as the Lynmouth SeaGen Array, would be connected to the local electricity network and have the capacity to supply clean and sustainable energy to around 5,500 homes in the area. Marine Current Turbines (MCT), which last month received permission to installa 1MW tidal stream device in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough, known as SeaGen, is regarded as one of the worlds’ foremost experts in tidal energy development. The company is based in Bristol. Following preliminary consultations with local interests last year, MCT has this week written to Lynton & Lynmouth Council, North Devon District Council, Somerset County Council, the Department of Trade Industry, DEFRA, Exmoor National Park and various other national and local organisations to outline its
plans for the Lynmouth SeaGen Array and the approach it will take to examine and assess the array’s potential environmental impact.
Martin Wright, Managing Director of Marine Current Turbines said: “The strong currents in the Bristol Channel offer one of the best resources for tidal energy in the UK. The success of our SeaFlow device in the same stretch of water gives us every confidence that we can generate clean power for the local area on a commercial basis with minimal effect on the local and marine environment. Importantly, the predictability of the tides in the Bristol Channel and in other parts of the UK means that we can accurately know how much electricity can be generated at a particular time.
“However, given the array’s size and location, it’s important that we still examine the environmental impact and the other issues associated with its
possible development. We have a healthy respect and commitment towards the marine environment, so our investigation and analysis work over the coming months as well as our consultations with various representative bodies and local people are vital.”
Working with PMSS Ltd, a leading environmental, health & safety and project development consultancy, MCT expects to complete the initial consultationswith stakeholders by March, and start the detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), offshore and onshore, thereafter. It is expected that the EIA could take up to 10 months to complete whilst consultations with interested parties will be on-going. Once the EIA has been completed, MCT will determine whether or not the waters off Lynmouth are a suitable location for the 12 unit array and whether the necessary consents should be sought.
Notes to Editors:
1. The recipients of the MCT/PMSS EIA scoping report include the DTI, DEFRA,
the Marine Fisheries Agency, the Crown Estate, Devon County Council,
Somerset County Council, North Devon & West Somerset District Councils,
Exmoor National Park, English Nature, Lynton & Lynmouth Town Council, the
Marine Coastguard Agency, Devon Sea Fisheries Committee, RSPB, the RNLI and
the British Sub Aqua Club. A full list of recipients can be obtained from PMSS
Ltd.
2. Marine Current Turbines™ is based in Stoke Gifford, Bristol and employs 15
people. The company was established in 2000 and its principal shareholders
include BankInvest, EDF Energy, Guernsey Electricity and Seacore Ltd. For
further information, please visit www.marineturbines.com.
3. PMSS is a leading environmental, health & safety and project development
consultancy working in the marine renewable energy sector. With offices in
Bath, Cardiff and Southampton, the firm is currently managing the EIA and
development process of a number of pre-commercial marine energy projects at
varying stages of evolution in UK waters. For further information, please visit
www.pmss.co.uk
For further information:
Marine Current Turbines
Martin Wright/Joe Verdi/David Ainsworth
Tel: 0117 979 1888
or
Paul Taylor (Taylor Keogh Communications)
Tel: 020 8487 8288 / 07966 782611
E: paul@taylorkeogh.com
or
PMSS Ltd (Bath)
Dr David Bean/Jamie May
Tel: 01225 731319/ 07769 700510
E: db@pmss.co.uk
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