Ventnor residents have raised concern regarding the announced tidal energy development in the area.
The proposed Perpetuus Tidal Energy Centre (PTEC) would be located around 2.5km south of St Catherine’s Point, near Ventnor on the Isle of Wight.
”The site in St Catherine’s Deep is on the brown crab migratory route that runs from the Bullock Bank off Hastings to Start Point in Devon. It is a vital fishery for Ventnor and will have a direct impact on the town’s growing reputation for fresh seafood,“ said Geoff Blake, local fisherman.
Locals believe that this project would affect their fishing, thus having costly impact on local businesses and the local economy in general.
PTEC released a statement in which they claim that ”PTEC could create hundreds of jobs and attract significant investment into the local economy.“
Ventnor will be hosting an exhibition on Wednesday so people can learn more about this project and how it will benefit the local area.
PTEC will have a total capacity of 20 MW, and potentially up to 30MW, enough to power 15,000 homes.
Offshore WIND staff, March 17, 2014; Image: perpetuustidal