An agreement between Isle of Wight-based Perpetuus Tidal Energy Centre (PTEC) and Scottish company Orbital Marine Power has paved the way for the island to start producing tidal energy.
PTEC has gained offshore consents to place tidal turbines in the sea off the south coast of the island and Orbital is the first company to sign up, with an initial target deployment of up to 15MW by the end of 2025.
The site is located in a 5km² area within the English Channel, approximately 2.5km south of St Catherine’s Point and around 6km from Ventnor. A public consultation will launch shortly to explain the proposals in full and seek the community’s views.
Each of Orbital’s 2MW O2 turbines can generate enough power for around 2,000 UK homes and offset approximately 2,200 tonnes of CO2 production per year.
Last month Orbital launched its first 680-tonne O2 turbine from the Port of Dundee onto a submersible barge in the River Tay before towing it to the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney for commissioning.
Rob Stevens, chairman of PTEC, said: “This is an important moment for the Isle of Wight economy. Having one of the most advanced tidal turbines in the world producing clean, predictable energy on our site will be a huge step forward for Britain and the Island.
“It will establish the Isle of Wight and the Solent at the centre of an exciting new marine energy sector, unlocking investment, jobs and a new future.
“The Orbital O2 is a remarkable innovation that sets a new benchmark for marine generation. We are thrilled to have the team on board.”
Oliver Wragg, commercial director of Orbital, said: “This is a fantastic step for Orbital and the UK tidal power sector. This agreement will enable a commercial tidal energy project that will pave the way for tidal steam energy to make a meaningful and complementary contribution to the UK’s transition to net zero.
“The tidal resource off the Isle of Wight has enormous potential to provide predictable, clean power; and we are excited that PTEC has recognised our proven credibility in delivering world leading tidal energy projects.
“This project can be the touchpaper that ignites an exciting new UK wide supply chain that secures local jobs as tidal energy plays its part in the energy transition.”