Wales’ First Full-Scale Tidal Energy Generator Receives Funding

May 8th, 2013 by Joshua S Hill

Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones announced last week at the Renewable UK Cymru conference in Cardiff that Wales’ first full-scale tidal energy generator has been awarded a £1.6 million EU grant to find its deployment in Ramsey Sound, Pembrokeshire.

The funding comes from the European Regional Development Fund has been provided to Cardiff-based Tidal Energy Ltd for its DeltaStream tidal energy device. The company is backed by Welsh renewable energy company Eco2 Ltd.

Invented by Pembrokeshire engineer Richard Ayre – the DeltaStream device, which sits on the seabed under its own gravity – comprises of three independent 400 kW turbines mounted on a triangular frame.

Harbour trials for the device will take place later this year in Milford Haven before full deployment in 2014 in Ramsey Sound. What follows will be a 12 month demonstration period in which it will generate electricity for the residents of St Davids. Only one 400 kW turbine will be installed in an effort to minimise operational and maintenance risk. Tidal Energy and Eco2 hope to scale up to full operations later in 2014 to 2015.

“This is a really exciting time for us,” said Martin Murphy, Managing Director of Tidal Energy. “We have all the necessary operating consents, have completed the grid work for the project, and are now preparing for our first at-sea tests.”

Chris Williams, Development Director at Tidal Energy Ltd, added, “We are delighted that this funding will allow us to continue developing our business here in Wales, and that we are able to contribute to the creation of a sustainable, low carbon economy for the Country.”

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Tags: DeltaStream, ECO2, European Regional Development Fund, tidal energy generator, TidalEnergy, Wales

About the Author

Joshua S Hill I'm a Christian, a nerd, a geek, and I believe that we're pretty quickly directing planet-Earth into hell in a handbasket! I also write for Fantasy Book Review (.co.uk), and can be found writing articles for a variety of other sites. Check me out at about.me for more.

Dave2020

Let’s be thankful for small mercies – “a £1.6 million EU grant’ is very welcome, but it’s a drop in the ocean.

The UK problem really lies long before any idea reaches the ‘D’ of the R&D. The Welsh government’s interpretation of EU state-aid rules is that research that fails to attract commercial support should not receive any public funding. So a grant of £1.6 thousand is routinely refused. That is the mother of all ‘Catch-22’s.

In fact, the climate for innovation is even worse than that, because research institutions (such as they are) in receipt of public funds are not allowed to ‘own’ IPR in the UK. Try telling that to the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft – or MIT? – or thousands of other research bodies around the world.

Britain has a world-class talent for shooting itself in the foot – we invented the concept.