Irish power firm Bord Gáis and tidal energy developer OpenHydro have been awarded exclusive rights to develop a 100 megawatt (MW) tidal energy farm.
The project, potentially the first of its kind in Ireland, would be off Torr Head on the north coast of Antrim and is expected to be completed by 2020.
James Ives, chief executive of OpenHydro, also based in Ireland, said: “The project will have the capacity to generate 100 MW of energy – enough to power over 75,000 homes in Northern Ireland.
“Our partnership with Bord Gáis Energy was a key factor in securing this award; combining OpenHydro’s proven technology with Bord Gáis Energy’s experience in delivering large scale infrastructure energy projects.”
The award was made by the Crown Estate to Tidal Ventures (a joint venture between the two firms) as part of Northern Ireland’s Offshore Renewable Energy Strategic Action Plan.
OpenHydro which won the badge of having the first grid-connected tidal device in 2007 at the European Marine Energy Centre and is also working towards having the first grid-connected array of tidal turbines.
In a project with utility and power firm EDF, it is working to connect four of its latest so-called open centre turbines – each 16m (53ft) in diameter and weighing 110 tonnes – in a farm off the coast of Brittany.
Since being formed in 2004 through the purchase of the open centre turbine technology off a US inventor, OpenHydro has taken “a few small 3-metre (10ft) 35KW prototypes” to 6-metre (20ft) 250kilawatt machines, then 10-metre prototypes and now its 16-metre device – all built by the firm in Ireland.
Its starting point was developing its own test rig.
It has gone on to develop its own new category deployment barge (a vessel which can be deconstructed into 17 container- sized units), of which it now owns two of, to get away from high costs of other specialist vessels.
Dave Kirwan, managing director, Bord Gáis Energy, said: “This project is a milestone for the development of tidal resources of Ireland.
“Bord Gáis Energy brings an ability to manage large scale infrastructure projects such as Whitegate and our windfarm portfolio together with a track record of financing projects of this scale.
“This experience is complemented by Open Hydro’s tidal specific experience.”
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