Scotrenewables Tidal Power Limited, founded and based in Stromness, was this week awarded an ‘Agreement for Lease’ from the Crown Estate for a commercial tidal energy demonstrator project to be located at Lashy Sound between the islands of Eday and Sanday in Orkney.
The award from Crown Estate, the body that holds the rights to the UK seabed to the 12-mile territorial limit, now gives SRTP the green light to proceed with further onsite resource assessments and to pursue the necessary consents and grid connection needed to develop the project. Once consented and grid connected the project, of up to 30MW capacity, will be developed in two distinct phases – an initial 10MW phase to be installed before early 2017 with subsequent build-out to the full 30MW capacity. Scotrenewables will seek to fully engage with local stakeholders throughout the project development process and the Company will be attending and exhibiting at the Pentland Firth & Orkney Waters Public Open Day in the Kirkwall Town Hall on 29th November. Those eager to learn more are encouraged to come to the event and speak with members of the Scotrenewables team.
Barry Johnston, Chief Executive Officer said: “The past week has held some hugely positive developments for the company and I am absolutely delighted. We have gradually built up to the point where we now have not only a technology that is functioning well, and is in fact exceeding expectations, but a high-quality and highly suitable location for installation of the first commercial SRTT units. Credit must go the close-knit team at Scotrenewables for all their efforts over the past months and years and to our investor–backers for the support they have offered.”
Also this week the SR250 prototype, currently undergoing testing at the EMEC Fall of Warness tidal test site, reached and surpassed its rated power output of 250kW. The prototype reached a peak power export of 273kW, equivalent to almost 110% rated power, while undergoing fully grid-connected tests in strong spring tides on Wednesday of this week.
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Press release, November 16, 2012; Image: scotrenewables