Postal worker intercepts drug sale
NORTH Wales tidal stream energy project, Morlais, has had a significant boost with the announcement that three new turbine developers have signed-up to the project.
The deal comes following months of discussion with French firms SABELLA and HydroQuest as well as Spanish developer Magallanes.
All three companies aim to deploy their devices on a commercial scale at the Crown Estate-designated zone off the west coast of Anglesey.
Morlais is run by social enterprise, Menter Môn and has the potential to become one of the largest tidal stream energy sites in the world.
The first stage of the project aims to secure consent for the development of the zone.
The second stage will put the necessary infrastructure in place so that developers, including the three new partners can implement their devices at the site.
SABELLA is a tidal technology designer and developer based in Brittany, northern France. Its D10-1000 turbine was the first device of its kind to be connected to the French grid. With its 1-MW technology successfully demonstrated during sea trials since 2015, Sabella is currently targeting marine applications for remote grids with its range of modular products.
Marlène Moutel, of SABELLA, said: “We have been following Menter Môn’s work on the Morlais project since 2016 and are delighted now to be part of this ambitious project as a developer. We look forward to collaborating with colleagues at Morlais and other stakeholders for the future success of marine energy in Wales. Anglesey’s waters have a great deal of tidal resource and Morlais will enable us to commercially deploy a pilot tidal array, a crucial step toward the development of the tidal industry.”
HydroQuest, also based in France has been developing hydro technology since 2001. The Grenoble-based firm develops turbine technology for rivers and the sea and aims to deploy its flagship 1MW tidal turbine OceanQuest in the Morlais zone.
The Magallanes project launched in 2009, in Galicia, Spain and has developed a technology capable of harnessing energy from the tidal currents which is cost effective and easy to maintain. Following the successfu tests of its first commercial scale tidal platform carried on at the
European Marine Energy Centre in the Orkney Islands, Magallanes is now aiming for larger scale deployment at Morlais. Morlais is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government. The project has the potential to scale up over time to generate up to 240MW of electricity, enough for an estimated 180,000 typical households.
THREE packages containing drugs were sent to an address on Anglesey in one week... but were intercepted before they got there.
The parcels were inspected by a postal operator and North Wales Police were called.
The officers seized the parcels which contained controlled substances and paid the intended recipient a visit.
On social media, NWP Anglesey wrote: “In the last week, 3 parcels containing controlled substances have been inspected and intercepted by a postal operator on Anglesey.
“They kindly delivered them to the police for seizure.
“The persons expecting the deliveries got an unexpected door knock.”