A third of homes to get Pentland power

Published on Tuesday 18 May 2010 22:45

TEN marine renewable projects with the potential to power almost a third of Scotland's homes were granted leases in the Pentland Firth earlier this year.

Managed by the Crown Estate, which controls the sea bed, the leasing scheme was the first initiative of its kind in the world.

It paved the way for the embryonic marine energy sector to take off in Scotland.

Companies competed for the leases, which could result in up to 1,000 wave and tidal energy devices being installed in the sea off the north of Scotland.

It attracted interest from global utilities firms that will invest an estimated 4 billion attempting to bring the 1.2-gigawatt schemes to fruition.

If successful, the power of the sea in the Pentland Firth between Caithness and Orkney could provide electricity for 750,000 of Scotland's 2.3 million homes by 2020.

A fierce two-year competition for the leases attracted applications from 20 companies worldwide for what was

the first area of sea around the UK to be opened up for marine renewables. The seven winners ranged from global utility giants including Eon, Scottish & Southern Energy and ScottishPower to small Scottish renewables firms such as Pelamis and Aquamarine Power.

Experts claim the schemes, if they all come to fruition, will have four times the peak output of the former Dounreay nuclear power station, and a similar amount to an existing nuclear plant, such as Torness.

However, experts warn huge challenges remain, from providing the devices needed for the schemes, to installing the necessary grid infrastructure to transmit the electricity from the ocean to homes, and developing the expertise needed.

The investment required for the ten projects would be, at about 4bn, similar to the cost of a new nuclear facility.

This will have to be funded entirely by the companies that won the ten leases.

Each of the ten projects will require planning permission before being built.