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MCT Seeks Lease to Deploy Tidal Technology

November 26, 2008 | 4 Comments

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Bristol, UK [RenewableEnergyWorld.com] Tidal energy company, Marine Current Turbines (MCT) confirmed that it intends to apply for a lease from the Crown Estate to deploy its world-beating tidal technology in Scotland's Pentland Firth. Subject to financing and securing the necessary approvals, MTC proposes to install potentially up to 50 megawatts (MW) of capacity by 2015, using its commercial-scale SeaGen technology, and up to 300 MW or more by 2020 if the local grid can handle it.

"We welcome the Crown Estate's competition for the Pentland Firth. Given our experience with our SeaGen tidal project in Northern Ireland's Strangford Lough, we believe that we have a clear and substantial technical advantage as well as unique, practical experience of installing and running a commercial scale tidal power system."

-- Martin Wright, Managing Director, Marine Current Turbines

To support its development ambitions in the Pentland Firth and in other parts of the UK and Ireland, and globally, MTC has appointed Cavendish Corporate Finance to secure new investment in the company. MCT’s existing shareholders include ESB International, Guernsey Electricity, Triodos Bank and EDF Energy.

“We welcome the Crown Estate’s competition for the Pentland Firth. Given our experience with our SeaGen tidal project in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough, we believe that we have a clear and substantial technical advantage as well as unique, practical experience of installing and running a commercial scale tidal power system," said Martin Wright, managing director of Marine Current Turbines

SeaGen, the world’s first commercial-scale grid-connected tidal stream energy system, was deployed in Strangford Lough in May of this year. At 1.2 MW capacity, SeaGen, which is in the final stages of commissioning, will generate electricity into the grid to meet the average needs of 1,000 homes.

Ocean Energy

4 Reader Comments

Comment
1 of 4

r-t-55471

November 26, 2008

"it intends to apply" seems a bit premature. Oh wait, they're 'confirming' that intent. Well, that's much better :)

I love the idea but seriously kids, this smacks too much of 'vaporware'.

Comment
2 of 4

ladislao-errazuriz-164277

December 5, 2008

I hoped the wording could have been more illustrative. ThereÂ´s some difference between 50 and 300 MW installations, both mentioned as part of the same setup.
And we get no indications of the machinery involved, other than a vague and general "commercial-scale SeaGen technology".
How many gizmos were planned and what are they made of, where do they go in the site and how effective are they expected to be?
We can certainly research such points elsewhere, but still it would be nice (and useful) to have them mentioned in the article.
ItÂ´s obviously OK to leave out excessively technical jargon, but avoiding the technical when describing the technical seems somehow self-defeating.

Comment
3 of 4

David_Appleyard

December 10, 2008

A rough description of the technology may be found at:

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=52037

Comment
4 of 4

ove-gashus-166206

January 4, 2009

Martin Wright refers to Strangford Lough "experience". The only publication I have seen refers only to breakdowns during installation. Is there a full report available?

DROK

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