Scotland is home to world’s largest tidal power project

MeyGen scheme in Pentland Firth capable of powering 175,000 homes

Tidal currents are a massive energy resource for the UK, with a large percentage of this power in the seas off north Scotland.

Moves are being made to harness this valuable resource and, last month, Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon unveiled the MeyGen project.

This Pentland Firth development is being led by Atlantis Resources and will be the world’s largest free-stream tidal power project.

The scheme has received £23 million of Scottish Government funding.

The First Minister unveiled the first fully-assembled turbine at Nigg Energy Park in the Highlands.

The four 1.5MW turbines that make up Phase 1A weigh almost 200 tonnes each.

Atlantis is on track to deliver first power to the grid from MeyGen later this year.

When completed, the project will consist of 269 turbines and generate enough energy to power 175,000 UK homes.

The First Minister said: “I am incredibly proud of Scotland’s role in leading the way in tackling climate change, and investment in marine renewables is a hugely important part of this.

“MeyGen is set to invigorate the marine renewables industry in Scotland and provide vital jobs for a skilled workforce, retaining valuable offshore expertise here in Scotland that would otherwise be lost overseas.

“Highly-skilled operation and maintenance jobs will also need to be carried out locally, providing strong local employment opportunity for rural areas.

“There is no doubt the eyes of the world are on this project, which is why the Scottish Government’s investment is so crucially important.

“But it is absolutely vital that the UK Government honours its earlier commitment to provide a ring-fenced allocation for marine energy in its renewables support scheme. They must tackle the current uncertainty that exists before they cause irreparable damage to the long-term prospects for the sector.”