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Energy firm makes waves in Orkney Orkney to get 'biggest' wave farm
(about 7 hours later)
A wave farm planned for Scotland could be the biggest in the world. Scottish ministers are set to announce funding for what has been described as the world's biggest wave farm.
Scottish Power has been testing an energy device at the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney and wants to commission four more for the same site. Leith-based company Ocean Power Delivery has been testing the Pelamis device at the European Marine Energy Centre on Orkney.
Deputy First Minister Nicol Stephen will announce a £13m funding package that will also allow a number of other marine energy devices to be tested. Scottish Power wants to commission four more at the same site.
Scottish Power said the venture would allow it to create enough power for 2,000 homes. Deputy First Minister Nicol Stephen is set to announce a £13m funding package that will also allow a number of other marine energy devices to be tested.
Ocean Power Delivery has already exported the Pelamis for use in a commercial wave farm.
Click here to see how the wave power system works
The large, tubular segments were taken to a site off the northern coast of Portugal last year for a project which aimed to generate enough power for 1,500 households.
At that stage the company warned that the industry could be forced to quit Scotland if there were no opportunities to use the technology closer to home.
Now Scottish Power is planning a venture which it believes could create enough power for 2,000 homes.
Friends of the Earth Scotland's chief executive, Duncan McLaren, said: "Wave and tidal power could supply a fifth of UK's electricity needs and Scotland is ideally placed to generate significant amounts of this pollution-free energy.
"It is critical that we see full-scale devices in our waters soon, otherwise the world-leading expertise Scotland has built up will rapidly depart these shores."
Energy targets
Mr Stephen will announce the nine successful bidders who will receive a share of the Marine Energy Fund when he visits Ocean Power Delivery's headquarters on Tuesday.
A Scottish Executive spokesman said: "These funds are going to get wave and tidal machines in the water within the next year to 18 months, which we think is a major step forward.
"Obviously, this will go some way to reducing carbon emission and towards meeting our renewable energy targets.
"The idea is that we want to give the industry an incentive to get this technology rolling out through Scotland, which they haven't really been able to do so far."
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