Tour to unlock the power of Pentland Firth

THE Pentland Firth has been called the greatest untapped source of energy Scotland has ever had, offering northern Scotland an equivalent to the Californian gold rush.

Now the huge reserves in the stretch of water between Orkney and the mainland, and the opportunities they present, will be detailed to industry experts.

Members of the British Wind Energy Association, which also promotes wave and tidal power, are on a two-day fact-finding trip to the area, starting today. They will be encouraged to work with local firms and public agencies, and to use Caithness and Orkney as a base.

This month Dutch firm Tocardo confirmed plans to build a 10MW prototype tidal energy plant in the firth. That move prompted former Caithness MP Robert Maclennan to say marine energy could be the area's equivalent of the gold rush and urged the government to make upgrading the region's electricity grid a priority.

Today's visit is being spearheaded by Roy Kirk, an inward investment executive with Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), as part of the Caithness Regeneration Partnership action plan. He said: "We've attracted a very interesting mix of people on the back of the ongoing interest in developments in the Firth."

Mr Kirk said there would be rich pickings for companies able to overcome the technical challenges of developing new technology in the hostile waters of the Pentland Firth.

"This is an engineering challenge the like of which has not been attempted anywhere else in the world," Mr Kirk said. "But the opportunities are absolutely tremendous."

HIE and the Crown Estate are keen to help start joint ventures in which locally based companies play a key role.