ScottishPower Renewables plans to install ten tidal turbines, each capable of producing 1 MW of electricity. The project will use HS1000 tidal turbines developed by Hammerfest Strøm AS, a company partly-owned owned by Iberdrola (ScottishPower Renewables’ parent company). Seen as one of the world’s most advanced tidal turbine designs, a prototype device has been generating electricity in Norway for over six years. The company is currently constructing the first HS1000 device that will go into waters off Orkney later this year.
Scotland is widely regarded as having the best tidal power resources anywhere in the world and the progression to demonstration projects is seen as a vital step towards fully realising this potential. The Islay project will play a key role in proving a range of factors necessary for the large scale deployment of the technology. This will include developing a better understanding of the technical aspects involved in deploying and maintaining machines and bringing forward systems to monitor and analyse their performance.
The location in The Sound of Islay, the channel of water that separates the islands of Jura and Islay on Scotland’s west coast, was chosen by ScottishPower Renewables following a UK-wide search to find the best site for a demonstration project. The Sound of Islay benefits from strong tidal flows, shelter from storms and waves and has available grid capacity. The planning application was also supported by a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment.
“Tidal power has long been considered as one of Scotland’s most valuable renewable energy resources and we have discussed its potential for many years,” explains Keith Anderson, the company’s Chief Executive. “It is a first in terms of Marine Scotland approval for a tidal project in Scotland, and also a world first for an array of tidal power machines. The understanding we develop from Islay will be essential in delivering the larger planned projects in the Pentland Firth.” This latter project involves a 95-turbine tidal project at Ness of Duncansbay as part of The Crown Estate’s first marine energy leasing round.
Possible completion in 2013
Anderson reveals that testing of the HS1000 machine in Orkney will begin this year and “will help us to finalise our timetable for the demonstration project in Islay”, although he envisages work beginning on the project in 2012 and plans to have machines installed as early as feasible during the period 2013 to 2015.
While ScottishPower Renewables welcomes the Scottish government’s desire to develop a major marine renewables industry in Scotland and maximise jobs and economic potential, Anderson warns funding support is “critical” to compliment private funds and encourage investment.
“Scotland’s support for wave and tidal power is better than elsewhere in the UK, but we would still like to see support for tidal power projects increased in line with the support available for wave power developments,” he says.
Referring to the recently consented tidal array, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth, John Swinney, said: ”there is simply nothing like it consented anywhere else in the world”. A commercial agreement has been signed with Diageo, one of the largest distillers on Islay, to provide electricity from the project to eight distilleries and maltings.
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