On 17th March 2011, the Scottish Government approved the construction of the world’s largest tidal farm between the islands of Islay and Jura in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. Ambitious as this project is for this new form of green energy generation, this tidal farm will be the pilot for an even larger project for the Pentland Firth, which is already on the drawing board.
The Design of the Tidal Farm
Over the years, several designs for utilizing tidal energy have been discussed. The Islay project will utilize a model similar to a wind turbine consisting of 10 propellers mounted on the seabed, invisible from the surface. These turbines will be driven by the tidal flow that constantly rushes through the Sound of Islay, the narrow defile between the islands, at 10 feet per second. It will be capable of producing enough electricity for more than 5000 homes, twice the number of homes on the islands.
The electrical power generated by this £40 million (US$64 million) project from ScottishPower Renewables will be fed into the National Grid but Scottish ministers are insistent that the project will also bring benefits to the local population and the islands’ whisky distilleries.
Hammerfest Strom, a company jointly owned by ScottishPower Renewables and various Norwegian energy companies, is developing one of the world’s most advanced tidal turbines for use in the Sound of Islay and the turbines themselves will be built by the Scottish company, Burntisland Fabrications.
The first turbine is being built on the Isle of Lewis and scheduled to be tested in Orkney in the latter part of this year. It is anticipated that installation of the turbines will begin in 2013.
Scotland is Investing Heavily in Tidal and Wave Power
Scotland has been pioneering the use of tidal and wave power. The country has roughly one quarter of the total tidal resources currently available in Europe and this project represents the first project to harness that energy. A larger project in the Pentland Firth is envisaged, based on the experience gained from this project, followed future development of the technology in other areas with strong tidal flows and currents, such as several parts of the American coast.
Islay is already the home of the world’s first wave power station, the Limpet 500, which has been producing 500kW of power from wave energy for over a decade now. This type of station can be incorporated into harbor walls and sea defenses, playing a dual role, and are ideal for providing independent power for smaller coastal communities. The optimum location for wave power stations is in areas of strong prevailing wind between latitudes 40 and 60.
A group of scientists is now seeking to put together a venture to utilize the wave power electricity to produce hydrogen for fuel cells to turn Islay into the world’s first hydrogen-powered island.
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.
Tidal Power’s Anticipated Role in the Future of Scotland
Finance Secretary John Swinney commented on the project: “With around one-quarter of Europe’s potential tidal energy resource and one- tenth of the wave capacity, Scotland’s seas have unrivalled potential to generate green energy, create new, low-carbon jobs, and bring billions of pounds of investment to Scotland. This development – the largest tidal array in the world – does just that and will be a milestone in the global development of tidal energy.
Developers must also work with host communities to provide local benefits. I am pleased that ScottishPower Renewables will work with the Islay Energy Trust to maximise social and economic opportunities, for instance using local marine contractors during installation or creating new local jobs in the onshore construction phase.”
Dr Richard Dixon, director of WWF Scotland, said: “Alongside energy saving measures, wave and tidal energy will have a critical role to play in helping Scotland reduce climate emissions and phase out polluting coal and nuclear power. Given the huge renewable energy potential around our coast, and the strong skills in offshore engineering, marine energy offers a fantastic opportunity for Scotland.
Scotland is well ahead of the game in exploiting wave power and continued support for these schemes will deliver huge export benefits in technology, as well as many thousands of green jobs.”
Source:
David Ross, Herald Scotland 18th March 2011 “World’s largest tidal farm highlights green ambition”
Martin Cross - A translator, former chef and marketeer, currently disabled. I write articles on food,, travel, politics, religion and technology.
