Renewable energy firm Nautricity has been given the go-ahead to develop a new tidal energy scheme in waters off the Mull of Kintyre, Scotland.
Marine Scotland has given consent for the deployment of the first Contra Rotating Marine Turbine (CoRMaT) device, capable of generating enough electricity to supply 400 homes, to be deployed in the Irish Sea, south of Machrihanish, Argyll. In addition, Argyll and Bute Council has approved the construction of an onshore sub-station that will connect the array to the National Grid.
Work on the onshore connection is expected to start later this year with the devices being deployed in the water in early 2015.
Nautricity was selected to develop the CoRMaT technology as part of the Government's WATERS2 funding package, aimed at helping Scottish firms to secure an increased share of the international marine energy market.
Last week it announced it was on track to produce commercially viable electricity after starting tests on the device, along with its patented HydroBuoy mooring system, at the European Marine Energy Centre, in Orkney. It aims to build out the Mull of Kintyre tidal development using the experiences gained from this project.
“This will inform the most cost effective development route to be adopted for all technical and commercial aspects of the project," said Cameron Johnstone, Nautricity's co-founder and CEO. "It is envisaged that a multi-megawatt array could be realised on the site post-2016."
Image: The Contra Rotating Marine Turbine (CoRMaT). Courtesy Nautricity
