Pentland Firth tidal turbines break world record for production
Tidal turbine - image credit: Atlantis resources
Two tidal turbines in the Pentland Firth have broken the world record for monthly production from a tidal stream power station, producing enough energy in August to power 2,000 homes, the project’s developer has announced.
With a third turbine installed this week, the MeyGen project’s developer announced that the station, based off the Caithness coast produced 700 MWh of electricity
Total production since the station’s launch is approaching 2 GWh.
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Hannah Smith, Policy Manager at Scottish Renewables, said: “The tides that flow through the Pentland Firth are some of the most powerful anywhere on earth and harnessing them has meant using machines and skills which have never before been tested on a commercial scale.
“This latest record is just one in a long line for the MeyGen project, which is leading the world in tidal energy deployment. If the determination and ingenuity shown to date are anything to go by, it won’t be the last.”
Dr Sam Gardner, acting director of WWF Scotland said the news was “a sign that Scotland is really making progress in harnessing the power of our seas and that we’re on our way to securing a low carbon future.”
He said: “By supporting projects like this one, which provide clean, predictable, homegrown power, the Scottish Government can help fight climate change, strengthen our energy security and drive further job creation in sustainable industries.”
David Taaffe, director of project delivery at MeyGen, said the turbines’ performance had been “very good”.
He said: “August proved to be a world record month, providing enough energy to power 2,000 Scottish homes from just two turbines. With yet another successful installation campaign expertly completed this week by the Atlantis operations team, we expect to continue to break records throughout the rest of the year generating both predictable power and revenue.”
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